Dictionary

spineless en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree English spine Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der. Proto-Germanic *leusaną Proto-Germanic *lausaz Proto-Germanic *-lausaz Proto-West Germanic *-laus Old English -lēas Middle English -les English -less English spineless From spine + -less.

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) Having no spines, prickles, or thorns.
2. (not-comparable) Having no spinal column.
3. Cowardly, uncourageous; lacking character.
   • If this results in a society which MacIntyre has criticized as being the province of the manager, the aesthete and the analyst, types almost sinister in their philosophical lightmindedness, superficiality, programmed uninterestingness, and their depressingly spineless willingness to grant the presence of 'despicable types' for the sake of political freedom, then so be it. 2006, Robin Holt, Wittgenstein, Politics and Human Rights, →ISBN:
   • You can laugh / A spineless laugh 1997, “Exit Music (For a Film)”, in OK Computer, performed by Radiohead:
   • Killership requires a person to become brave and polite. It is not deal of weakwilled and spineless people. This deal likes neither cheating nor foolishness. 2012, Vagif Sultanly, Iraj Ismaely, Modern Azerbaijanian Prose:

Forms

Antonyms

spiny · spined

Coordinates

thornless · barbless

Deriveds

spineless eel · spineless sadism · spinelessly · spinelessness

Synonyms

low-hearted · base · fainthearted · pusillanimous · dastardly · lily-livered · nithing · unhearty · milky · candy-assed · white-hearted · timorous · poor-spirited · nutless · cowish · gutless · rabbit-hearted · craven · gutless · cravenhearted · niding · invertebrate · chicken · yellow-bellied · mousy · kiasi · milk-livered · white-livered · unspined · punk · dough-faced · dastard · liver-hearted · caitiff · yellow · boneless · pussylike · timid · cowardly · invertebrate · retromingent · miching · cowhearted · mouse-hearted · unspiny · pigeon-livered · soft · chicken-livered · hen-hearted · invalorous · niddering · nerveless · liver-faced · fraidy · cowardish · cowardy · chicken-hearted · backboneless · heartless · cringey · sissy · invertebrate · nidering · cowardly · dickless · spineless · bitch-ass · fearful · wimpish · weak-kneed · ratlike · gizzardless · boneless · recrayed · chickenshit · poltroonish · courageless

Translations (40)

bg безгръбна́чен (having no spine) · cs bezpáteřný (having no spine) · de rückgratlos (uncourageous) · fr lâche (uncourageous) · he חֲסַר עַמּוּד שִׁדְרָה (uncourageous) · be мяккаце́лы (uncourageous) · et selgrootu (uncourageous) · sv ryggradslös (having no spine) · ru бесхребе́тный (having no spine) · uk безхребе́тний (uncourageous) · he חֲסַר חוּט שִׁדְרָה (uncourageous) · de rückgratlos (having no spine) · tr tabansız (uncourageous) · fi selkärangaton (having no spine) · mi iwituararokore (having no spine) · uk безхребе́тний (having no spine) · et selgrootu (having no spine) · uk м'якоті́лий (uncourageous) · be бязво́льны (uncourageous) · be бесхрыбе́тны (uncourageous) · bg безхара́ктерен (uncourageous) · sk bezcharakterný (uncourageous) · ru мягкоте́лый (uncourageous) · ru бесхара́ктерный (uncourageous) · uk безві́льний (uncourageous) · ru бесхребе́тный (uncourageous) · ru беспозвоно́чный (having no spine) · be бесхрыбе́тны (having no spine) · sv ryggradslös (uncourageous) · be бесхара́ктарны (uncourageous) · mk безрбетен (having no spine) · de stachellos (having no spine) · mi hūngoingoi (uncourageous) · ru безво́льный (uncourageous) · fi selkärangaton (uncourageous) · uk безхара́ктерний (uncourageous) · de willenlos (uncourageous) · tr ödlek (uncourageous) · pl tchórzliwy (uncourageous) · pl bezkręgowy (having no spine)