gutlessness

IPA/ɡˈʌtləsnəs/
IPA/ɡˈʌtləsnəs/

gutlessness — noun

1. The quality of not having the bravery or resolve to face something difficult, fr

1.名詞C2
釋義

The quality of not having the bravery or resolve to face something difficult, frightening, or dangerous.

例句

Mert's gutlessness during the fire drill surprised everyone in the office.

possessive + gutlessness + during + event noun

The committee blamed the project's failure on gutlessness rather than a lack of funds.

blame + on + gutlessness

同義詞
  • cowardice

    more formal and carries stronger moral condemnation

  • spinelessness

    more informal; vividly suggests a lack of inner backbone

  • timidity

    milder; often describes a personality trait rather than a moral failure

反義詞
  • courage

    the direct opposite quality

  • bravery

    active willingness to face danger or difficulty

  • guts

    informal; the root word from which gutlessness is derived

用法筆記

Used as a strong criticism of someone's character, implying a failure of moral backbone rather than mere shyness. Less formal than 'cowardice' but more pointed than 'timidity.'

常見錯誤

❌His gutlessness showed when he stayed quiet during the argument because he did not know the topic well.
✅His gutlessness showed when he stayed quiet while his teammate was unfairly blamed.
💡Gutlessness is about failing to act out of fear, not about lacking knowledge.

2. A quality of weakness or emptiness in something produced — when a work, performa

2.名詞C2
釋義

A quality of weakness or emptiness in something produced — when a work, performance, or idea has no real force, meaning, or life to it.

例句

Caleb found the novel's gutlessness disappointing after all the praise it had received.

gutlessness of a creative work (novel)

The band's latest album suffers from a gutlessness that their early work never had.

suffer from + gutlessness

同義詞
  • vapidity

    formal; specific to lack of intellectual liveliness or interest

  • insipidity

    formal; emphasises absence of flavour or distinctive character

  • feebleness

    wider scope; can describe physical weakness as well as lack of force in ideas

反義詞
  • substance

    presence of meaningful content or weight

  • vitality

    energy and liveliness in a creative work

用法筆記

Primarily used in critical reviews of creative or intellectual output — books, films, music, speeches, design. Rarer than sense 1 and less likely to appear in everyday conversation.