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“timorous”
temerity, timidity, timorous
temerity (tuh MER i tee) (noun)
Recklessness, a foolhardy disdain for danger associated with an action: "The high school pupil had the temerity to talk back to the school principal."
"The mountain hikers demonstrated temerity when planning their assent of the dangerous mountain."
timidity (tuh MI duh tee) (noun)
Not possessing courage or boldness: "His timidity made him a victim of many jokes on the playground."
timorous (TIM uhr uhs) (adjective)
Fearful, doubtful: "Her timorous personality was not evident in the fascinating mystery books which she wrote under a pseudonym."
The timorous quality of his personality was surprising because he often demonstrated great temerity when he was enjoying his hobby of bungee jumping.
Perhaps the danger of bungee jumping gave him the courage to try to overcome his timidity.
This entry is located in the following unit:
Confusing Words Clarified: Group T; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, Polysemes, etc. +
(page 2)
timorous (adjective), more timorous, most timorous
1. Characterized by or indicating fear: Young Timothy cried out with a timorous voice while sleeping when he had a nightmare that he was drowning in the ocean near where he was living in California.
2. Etymology: from Latin timor, "fear"; from timeo, "to be afraid".
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2. Etymology: from Latin timor, "fear"; from timeo, "to be afraid".