pusilanimous

• In television studies headteachers 'representatives were grilled about their pusilanimous behaviour. —  Blogposts | guardian.co.uk
• Him they fell upon and rated for a pusilanimous cowardly dog (as Burnworth called him) that would desert them in an affair of such consequence, and then questioned whether Higgs himself would not betray them. —  Lives of the Most Remarkable Criminals Who have been Condemned and Executed for Murder, the Highway, Housebreaking, Street Robberies, Coining or other offences
• And these prejudices were heightened by secretary Cecil in his private correspondence with that pusilanimous, jealous prince, before he ascended the Throne of England, or at least immediately upon that event; for tho' Raleigh and Cecil had united against Essex, yet after the ruin of that earl and his party, their seeming friendship terminated in a mutual struggle for a superiority of power. —  The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume I.
• Tom Thumb, from a plug-hat Bishop to a little pusilanimous dude preacher. —  The Heart-Cry of Jesus
• '"Becase," says Jer, "if it isn't done you'll never be asy again," says he, "or pusilanimous in your mind," says he; "so ax no more questions, but do my biddin', "says he. —  The Purcell Papers — Volume 3

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