gutless
Meaning
Lacking courage or determination; cowardly.
Structure
Usage
His gutless refusal to confront the bully only made the situation worse.
The critics dismissed the film's ending as a gutless compromise.
She accused the government of making a gutless decision to avoid controversy.
Etymology
The word "gutless" is a relatively modern English compound, first attested in the late 19th century. It combines the noun "gut," which in its Old English form referred literally to the intestines, with the privative suffix "-less." The figurative use of "gut" to mean courage or fortitude stems from the ancient belief that visceral organs were the seat of strong emotions and spirit. Therefore, the literal construction "without guts" evolved logically into its modern abstract meaning of lacking courage or resolve, painting a vivid picture of someone devoid of inner strength.
Analysis
- gut: From Old English guttas (plural), meaning "bowels, entrails." In English, it came to figuratively represent the seat of courage and emotions. - less: A suffix of Old English origin (-lēas) meaning "free from, without."