Standard Lemma guide

wuss

noun · verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /wʊs/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Northern-Ireland, Scotland: /wʉs/
  • rhymes with -ʊs
  • CMU ARPABET: W AH1 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A weak, ineffectual, cowardly, or timid person.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: derogatory, mildly, slang

Examples

  • 1976, Univ. N. Carolina, Chapel Hill, Campus Slang typescript Nov. 6 Come on you wuss, hit a basket..! John's a wuss.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

Only used in wuss out

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a person who is physically weak and ineffectual

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: weakling, doormat

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: person, individual, someone, somebody, mortal, soul

Narrower terms: namby-pamby, softy, softie, wimp, chicken, crybaby

History

Etymology

1976–1981 in US college slang. Perhaps abbreviated from wussy, or blend of wimp and puss. Compare earlier wussy.

Across languages

Translations

60 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: covard — weak, ineffectual person
  • Catalan: covarda — weak, ineffectual person
  • Czech: slaboch — weak, ineffectual person
  • Czech: měkkota — weak, ineffectual person
  • Czech: padavka — weak, ineffectual person
  • Czech: bábovka — weak, ineffectual person
  • Finnish: pelkuri — weak, ineffectual person
  • Finnish: mammanpoika — weak, ineffectual person
  • Finnish: nynny — weak, ineffectual person
  • Finnish: nyhverö — weak, ineffectual person
  • French: chochotte — weak, ineffectual person
  • French: mauviette — weak, ineffectual person
  • French: mou — weak, ineffectual person
  • German: Weichei — weak, ineffectual person
  • German: Feigling — weak, ineffectual person
  • German: Schlappschwanz — weak, ineffectual person
  • German: Waschlappen — weak, ineffectual person
  • German: Memme — weak, ineffectual person
  • German: Schwächling — weak, ineffectual person
  • German: Lulu — weak, ineffectual person
  • Greek: χέστης (chéstis) — weak, ineffectual person
  • Greek: χεζάς (chezás) — weak, ineffectual person
  • Greek: χεζού (chezoú) — weak, ineffectual person
  • Italian: femminuccia — weak, ineffectual person
  • Italian: pappamolle — weak, ineffectual person
  • Italian: fifone — weak, ineffectual person
  • Italian: smidollato — weak, ineffectual person
  • Italian: vigliacco — weak, ineffectual person
  • Italian: codardo — weak, ineffectual person
  • Italian: rammollito — weak, ineffectual person
  • Italian: mollusco — weak, ineffectual person
  • Italian: coniglio — weak, ineffectual person
  • Italian: pollo — weak, ineffectual person
  • Italian: merlo — weak, ineffectual person
  • Italian: cacasotto — weak, ineffectual person
  • Italian: pisciasotto — weak, ineffectual person
  • Italian: mammoletta — weak, ineffectual person
  • Italian: mollaccione — weak, ineffectual person
  • Italian: vile — weak, ineffectual person
  • Italian: debole — weak, ineffectual person
  • Italian: pauroso — weak, ineffectual person
  • Italian: eunuco — weak, ineffectual person
  • Polish: cienias — weak, ineffectual person
  • Polish: mięczak — weak, ineffectual person
  • Portuguese: fracote — weak, ineffectual person
  • Portuguese: bundão — weak, ineffectual person
  • Russian: слаба́к (slabák) — weak, ineffectual person
  • Russian: тря́пка (trjápka) — weak, ineffectual person
  • Russian: ро́хля (róxlja) — weak, ineffectual person
  • Russian: размазня́ (razmaznjá) — weak, ineffectual person
  • Russian: мя́мля (mjámlja) — weak, ineffectual person
  • Russian: тюфя́к (tjufják) — weak, ineffectual person
  • Russian: губошлёп (gubošljóp) — weak, ineffectual person
  • Russian: недотёпа (nedotjópa) — weak, ineffectual person
  • Spanish: calzonazos — weak, ineffectual person
  • Spanish: pusilánime — weak, ineffectual person
  • Spanish: encogido — weak, ineffectual person
  • Spanish: menguado — weak, ineffectual person
  • Spanish: achumpipado — weak, ineffectual person
  • Swedish: mes — weak, ineffectual person