different between heinous vs pusillanimous

English

Etymology

From Old French haïneus (compare French haineux) from haïr (“to hate”), hadir (“to hate”) (compare Old French enhadir (“to become filled with hate”)), from Frankish *hattjan (“to hate”)

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /?he?n?s/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /?hi?n?s/
• Rhymes: -e?n?s

Adjective

heinous (comparative more heinous, superlative most heinous)

1. Totally reprehensible.

Usage notes

• Nouns to which "heinous" is often applied: crime, act, sin, murder, offence.

Synonyms

• (totally reprehensible): abominable, horrible, odious

Antonyms

• unheinous (rare)

Derived terms

• unheinous
• heinous crime

Translations

Anagrams

• in house, in-house, inhouse

English

Etymology

Derived from Latin pusillanimis (“faint-hearted, timid”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pju?s?l?æn?m?s/, /pju?s?l?æn?m?s/
• Rhymes: -æn?m?s

Adjective

pusillanimous (comparative more pusillanimous, superlative most pusillanimous)

1. Showing ignoble cowardice, or contemptible timidity. [from 16th c.]

   The soldier deserted his troop in a pusillanimous manner.

   • 1882 — Mark Twain, On the Decay of the Art of Lying [1].

     Therefore, the wise thing is for us diligently to train ourselves to lie thoughtfully, judiciously; to lie with a good object, and not an evil one; to lie for others' advantage, and not our own; to lie healingly, charitably, humanely, not cruelly, hurtfully, maliciously; to lie gracefully and graciously, not awkwardly and clumsily; to lie firmly, frankly, squarely, with head erect, not haltingly, tortuously, with pusillanimous mien, as being ashamed of our high calling.

Related terms

• pusillanimously
• pusillanimousness
• pusillanimity

Translations