ENGLISH
REFERENCE

spineless

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈspaɪnɫəs// UK //spˈaɪnləs// spine·less

adj. lacking the courage to make a decision or stand up for yourself. You use this to describe someone who is too weak to act when they should.

adj. lacking the moral or physical strength to act decisively or defend one's own interests. Often used figuratively to describe a lack of backbone or courage.


SIMPLE

He is too spineless to tell his boss he is wrong.

CONTEXTUAL

The committee was criticized for being spineless and failing to address the serious safety concerns raised by the workers.

COMPLEX

A spineless leader who refuses to take a firm stance on critical issues will eventually lose the trust of both their colleagues and the public they serve.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From spine + -less.

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