An Enchanted Place

It’s that time of week again where I share a word that I find interesting and write a little story in which I use it.

This week’s Weekly Word is: timorous

Part of Speech

adjective

Pronunciation

 ‘tɪ-mə-rəs / tim-o-rous / tim-rəs

Word Origin

First recorded use 1400–50 – from Medieval Latin timōrōsus – from Latin timōr-, s. of timor fear + -ōsus -ous

Related Words

• timorously adverb
• timorousness noun

Meaning

1. fearful or timid

2. indicating fear or timidity

Synonyms

apprehensive, bashful, chicken, coy, cowardly, cowering, demure, diffident, easily frightened, faint-hearted, fearful, frightened, gutless, humble, irresolute, lacking courage, meek, modest, mousy, nervous, pusillanimous, quaking, quiet, reserved, reticent, retiring, self-effacing, shrinking, shy, though, timid, trembling, trepidatious, unassertive, unassuming, weak-kneed, yellow, yellow-bellied, wimpish

Antonyms

assertive, assured, audacious, bold, brazen, confident, courageous, daring, fearless, forthcomimg

Use the Word

Timorous

She could hardly believe just how wrong she’d been about him. She’d thought him to be timorous and shy. Just like everyone else in their circle back in school, she’d called him a coward and had snickered as the popular set pushed him around. She felt ashamed now, looking back. Just because he was passive and had behaved timorously, she’d dismissed and mocked him.

In return for her disgraceful behaviour he could have chosen to ignore the handsy trio who’d cornered her in the club. He could have ignored her cries of distress and displayed the timorousness for which he was known. Instead he had leapt in, bold and courageous.

He hadn’t even hesitated when one of them pulled out a knife.

As she sat in the uncomfortable hospital chair, her dress stiff with drying blood, she could only hope it wasn’t too late to find out exactly what sort of man he was.

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If you would like to join in with this activity in any way, feel free to do so. You could either share a Weekly Word of your own – this week beginning with the letter T – or you could use my word, or Millie Thom’s, as inspiration for a post. This could be a piece of poetry, flash fiction, or any form of prose that you choose. Just share a link in the comments so we can see what you’ve been up to!