faintheartedness

/ˈfeɪntˈhɑɹtɪdnəs/ noun

The quality or state of being fainthearted.

Word Origin 'Faint' comes from Old French 'feint,' from Latin 'fingere' meaning 'to feign, shape' — so faint originally meant 'feigned, pretended,' then came to mean 'weak, lacking courage.' 'Heart' from Old English 'heorte' (heart, spirit). So fainthearted is literally 'feigned-hearted,' pretending to have spirit but actually weak. The suffix '-ness' makes it a noun: the state of being fainthearted. The same 'fingere' root gives us 'figment' (something shaped), 'effigy' (a shaped likeness), and 'disfigure' (un-shape), while the heart root gives us 'hearty,' 'dishearten,' and 'sweetheart.'

noun The quality or state of being fainthearted. countable

His faintheartedness prevented him from speaking up during the important meeting.

(名词) 怯懦;胆小

他的怯懦使他在重要会议上不敢发言。

(sustantivo) La cualidad o estado de ser pusilánime o cobarde.

Su pusilanimidad le impidió hablar durante la importante reunión.

(nom) pusillanimité; lâcheté [Manque de courage ou de résolution ; pusillanimité, timidité excessive.]

Sa **faintheartedness** l'a empêché de prendre la parole pendant cette réunion importante.

(Substantiv) Kleinmütigkeit; Ängstlichkeit [Die Eigenschaft oder der Zustand, ängstlich, zaghaft oder mutlos zu sein.]

Seine **faintheartedness** hinderte ihn daran, während des wichtigen Meetings das Wort zu ergreifen.

(名詞) おくびょうであること。または臆病な性質。

彼の臆病さが原因で、重要な会議中に意見を述べることができなかった。

(substantivo) pusilanimidade; covardia; timidez; acanhamento [A qualidade ou estado de ser pusilânime ou fraco de coração.]

A pusilanimidade dele o impediu de se manifestar durante a reunião importante.

Word parts: faint + heart + ed + ness

Related words

Get offline access, pronunciation, spaced repetition, and learning games:

Download Syntaxiom →
📱 Offline access 🔊 Pronunciation 🧠 Spaced repetition 📖 Native language bridges