timorous, a.
(ˈtɪmərəs)
Forms: α. 5–6 tymerous(e, (5 tumerous), 6–8 timerous, (6 -ouse). (β. 6 temerous.) γ. 5–6 timorouse, 6 tymorous, 6–8 timourous, (6 -ouse, 7 timrous, 7–8 tim'rous), 6– timorous.
[= OF. temeros, -ous (14th c. in Godef.), later timoureus, timoreux, OSp., Pg. temeroso, It. timoroso, med.L. timōrōsus (11th c. in Du Cange, and prob. in late L.), f. L. timōr-em fear.
The existence of the forms timerous, temerous brought this word into formal confusion with temerous rash; whence temerity, properly n. of quality from temerous, was also used as deriv. of timorous in sense ‘timidity’: see timerity.]
1. Full of or affected by fear (either for the time or habitually); fearful. a. Feeling fear; frightened, apprehensive, afraid. (Sometimes const. of, or with inf. or clause.) Now rare.
| c 1450 Mankind 805 in Macro Plays 30 He ys so tymerouse; me semyth hys vytall spryt doth expyre. c 1530 Crt. Love 1 With timerous [ed. 1561 temerous] herte, and trembling hand of drede. c 1555 Harpsfield Divorce Hen. VIII (Camd.) 185 The King's doings..may seem..to have proceeded from a tymerous fearful conscience to offend God. 1613 W. Browne Brit. Past. ii. v, Timerous of death. a 1631 Donne Holy Sonnets xii. 10 You have not sinned nor need be timourous. 1707 Reflex. upon Ridicule ii. 269 Our Friends are for the most part timerous. 1750 Johnson Rambler No. 75 ¶15 He is now more timorous lest his freedom should be thought rudeness. 1840 Dickens Barn. Rudge lxxii, He..was rather timorous of venturing on Joe. |
b. Subject to fear; of a fearing disposition; easily frightened; timid. † In early use sometimes in good sense: Modest, reverential.
| 1474 Caxton Chesse ii. ii. (1883) 32 A Quene ought to be well manerd & amonge alle she ought to be tumerous and shamefast. Ibid. iii. ii, Maysters and marroners on the see..yf they be tumerous and ferdful they shold make aferde them that ben in theyr shippis. 1502 W. Atkynson tr. De Imitatione ii. x. 189 The grace wherby we may be made humble & tymerous to God. 1534 More Comf. agst. Trib. ii. Wks. 1182/1 Thys faute of pusillanimitye and tymorous mynde. a 1557 M. Basset tr. More's Treat. Passion ibid. 1358/1 O temerous & weake sely shepe, thynke yt sufficient for thee, onely to walke after me, which am thy shepehearde. 1600 Holland Livy ii. lv. 81 Their own timerous conceits & imaginations. 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) IV. 3 Animals of the hare kind..are inoffensive and timorous. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. xvi. III. 636 Conjunctures such as have often inspired timorous and delicate women with heroic courage. |
c. Indicating or proceeding from fear; characterized by timidity. Also fig.
| 1581 J. Bell Haddon's Answ. Osor. 477 b, Tymerous feare of men hath straightened it. 1603 H. Crosse Vertues Commw. (1878) 139 The linke of wofull wretchednes maketh his death timerous and fearfull by his leaud life. 1652 Crashaw Carmen Deo Nostro Wks. (1904) 254 The timerous light of stares. 1701 C. Wolley Jrnl. New York (1860) 60 There is the timorous objection: the Ship may founder by springing a Leak. 1781 Gibbon Decl. & F. xxvi. (1869) II. 48, I shall proceed with doubtful and timorous steps. 1838 Prescott Ferd. & Is. (1846) I. iii. 151 His troops murmured at this timorous policy. |
† 2. Causing fear or dread; dreadful, terrible. Obs.
| 1455 Rolls of Parlt. V. 281/1 In as rigorous and timorouse manere as the Chirche wol suffre it. 1513 Bradshaw St. Werburge ii. 766 They set theyr ordinaunce agaynst the towne..timorous for to se. 1608 R. Johnson Seven Champions 45, I grant thee..by the law of arms to choose thy death, els hadst thou suffered a timorous torment. 1632 Lithgow Trav. vi. 262 Wee came to the most scurrile and timorous Discent of the whole passage. |
3. dial. (See quots.)
| 1691 Ray N.C. Words, Timorous, by the Vulgar is here used for furious or passionate. 1828 Craven Gloss., Timorous, difficult to please, fretful; also, nice, particular in dress. |