Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Lacking courage or drive.
  • adjective Lacking substance; weak or insignificant.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective lacking courage or vitality. Opposite of gutsy.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective informal uncourageous

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective lacking courage or vitality
  • adjective weak in willpower, courage or vitality

Etymologies

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Examples

  • In my opinion it's a very scrupulous review, and why Shafer would choose to characterize it as "fawning" and "gutless" is a mystery to me.

    Book Reviewing 2010

  • Clueless and gutless is the tagline for this woefully inept administration and you betcha, I miss the dolt Bush.

    Obama will visit Gulf region 2010

  • And how totally gutless is that he chooses as his podium the Rush Limpdick show, rather than risk the ire of a mainstream — (or sane) – audience?

    Think Progress » Rumsfeld: ‘The Implication That There Was Something Wrong with the War Plan is Amusing’ 2006

  • The much-maligned Marleau, who was called "gutless" by former teammate Jeremy Roenick after Game 5, gave the Sharks the breathing room they had been desperately seeking when he poked a rebound of Setoguchi's shot into an empty net behind Jimmy Howard to give San Jose a 3-1 lead.

    SI.com 2011

  • The much-maligned Marleau, who was called "gutless" by former teammate Jeremy Roenick after Game 5, gave the Sharks the breathing room they had been desperately seeking when he poked a rebound of Setoguchi's shot into an empty net behind Jimmy Howard to give San Jose a 3-1 lead.

    SI.com 2011

  • If you want an example of long term gutless irresponsibility, consider that we've had since 1973 to get out from under petroleum.

    The Economist: Daily news and views 2011

  • Way to go Warner, you've gone from potentially being remembered as a statesman to being forever known as a gutless craven weasel.

    Election Central | Talking Points Memo | Breaking: Warner Introducing Non-Binding Version Of Webb Amendement -- But Didn't Even Tell Webb First 2009

  • Way to go Warner, you've gone from potentially being remembered as a statesman to being forever known as a gutless craven weasel.

    Breaking: Warner Introducing Non-Binding Version Of Webb Amendement -- But Didn't Even Tell Webb First 2009

  • The most pejorative of hockey insults - "gutless" - has already been uttered by Versus analyst Jeremy Roenick, deplored by cooler heads and eventually rendered inexact by its target: The San Jose Sharks' Patrick Marleau, after all, scored the goal that eliminated the Detroit Red Wings from the playoffs Thursday night.

    The Seattle Times 2011

  • While Detroit's big stars stepped up, it was a disappointing night for San Jose's Joe Thornton and, in particular, Patrick Marleau, who had been called "gutless" on national television in the U.S. the previous day by former teammate Jeremy Roenick

    Thestar.com - Home Page Paul Hunter 2011

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