怯懦 (qiè nuò) — cowardly, timid; faint-hearted

Definition

Formal/literary adjective meaning 'cowardly, timid' — used in writing or character descriptions, much stronger than everyday 胆小. Implies a deep, ingrained lack of courage rather than momentary hesitation.

adjective
cowardlytimidfaint-hearted

Examples

  • 怯懦
    Tā xìng gé qiè nuò, yù shì zǒng shì bù gǎn chū tóu.
    He has a cowardly personality and never dares to take the lead when something happens.
  • 怯懦
    Zài zhè ge jìng zhēng jī liè de háng yè lǐ, qiè nuò de rén hěn nán chéng gōng.
    In this fiercely competitive industry, faint-hearted people can hardly succeed.
  • 怯懦
    Tā de yǎn shén tòu lù chū nèi xīn de qiè nuò.
    His eyes revealed the cowardice within.

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