different between shameful vs pusillanimous

English

Etymology

From Middle English schameful, schamfull, from Old English *s?eamfull, s?eomfull, equivalent to shame +? -ful. Cognate with Danish skamfuld (“shameful, shamefast, ashamed”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??e?mf?l/

Adjective

shameful (comparative more shameful, superlative most shameful)

1. Causing or meriting shame or disgrace; disgraceful
   • 2009 February 19, Gareth Lewis, Southern Daily Echo:

     "They have turned a great old English institution into a shameful clip-joint. It's a shuddering, howling tragedy."

2. Giving offense.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:despicable

Derived terms

• shamefully
• shamefulness

Translations

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