as in timid
easily frightened
sensational news stories that seem designed to needlessly alarm an already timorous public
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Recent Examples of timorous
Diaz is plucky and determined in ways that the more timorous guys can’t quite muster.
—
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Democratic moderates are often portrayed by the left as timorous figures reluctant to take strong stands for fear of political retribution.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 3 Aug. 2022
At the time Russia revealed their new new weapon, U.S. national security thinkers did an obligatory round of timorous handwringing, but, other than that, the U.S. was largely—and strangely—silent.
—Craig Hooper, Forbes, 3 Aug. 2022
The hospital industry has been timorous about transparency since the first large-scale quality survey was conducted by the American College of Surgeons back in 1919.
—Michael L. Millenson and J. Matthew Austin, STAT, 24 May 2022
See All Example Sentences for timorous
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Democratic moderates are often portrayed by the left as timorous figures reluctant to take strong stands for fear of political retribution.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 3 Aug. 2022
At the time Russia revealed their new new weapon, U.S. national security thinkers did an obligatory round of timorous handwringing, but, other than that, the U.S. was largely—and strangely—silent.
—Craig Hooper, Forbes, 3 Aug. 2022
The hospital industry has been timorous about transparency since the first large-scale quality survey was conducted by the American College of Surgeons back in 1919.
—Michael L. Millenson and J. Matthew Austin, STAT, 24 May 2022
See All Example Sentences for timorous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for timorous
timid
Adjective
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Putin played the timid souls of these make-America-weak policymakers like a violin.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
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Although timid at first, Sarah has now let her personality shine.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Timorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/timorous. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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