Timorous means lacking confidence and easily frightened — very close in meaning to timid, but a much more literary word.

Timorous timorous means的意思是 lacking confidence and easily frightened缺乏自信、容易受驚 — very close in meaning to timid意思跟timid很接近，but a much more literary word但是文言得多的詞。

You meet it in novels, poems, older writing, and in journalism that is trying to sound elegant; you almost never hear it in ordinary conversation, and if you used it while chatting, people would notice.

You你 meet it會遇到它 in novels, poems, older writing在小說、詩、較舊的文章裡，and in journalism that is trying to sound elegant以及想聽起來優雅的新聞寫作裡；you almost never hear it你幾乎聽不到它 in ordinary conversation在日常對話裡，and if you used it while chatting如果你聊天時用了它，people would notice別人會注意到。

It describes both a person's nature ('a timorous little man') and a single act ('a timorous glance towards the door'). Like timid, it is also used about institutions and plans that are not bold enough — 'a timorous board of directors' — and there it is clearly a criticism.

It它 describes both可以形容 a person's nature一個人的性格 ('a timorous little man')（'a timorous little man'一個膽怯的小個子男人） and a single act也可以形容一個單一的動作 ('a timorous glance towards the door')（'a timorous glance towards the door'朝門口怯生生地一瞥）。 Like timid跟timid一樣，it is also used about它也可以用在 institutions and plans that are not bold enough不夠大膽的機構和計畫上 — 'a timorous board of directors'（'a timorous board of directors'一個畏首畏尾的董事會） — and there明顯是 it is clearly a criticism一種批評。

Two things give it a slightly old-fashioned flavour. One is Burns's famous line to a mouse, 'wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie', which many English speakers half-remember, so the word carries a faint echo of a small trembling animal. The other is the legal phrase 'the timorous soul', from a famous judgment about who counts as a reasonable person.

Two things有兩件事 give it a slightly old-fashioned flavour讓它帶點老派的味道。 One is一個是 Burns's famous line to a mouse Burns那句寫給老鼠的名句, 'wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie''wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie', which many English speakers half-remember很多英語人士都還隱約記得，so the word carries所以這個字帶著 a faint echo of a small trembling animal一絲瑟瑟發抖的小動物的味道。 The other is另一個是 the legal phrase 'the timorous soul'法律用語'the timorous soul'膽怯的靈魂, from a famous judgment出自一則知名判決 about who counts as a reasonable person討論誰算是「合理的人」的。

If you simply want to say someone is not brave, 'timid' is the safer everyday choice; reach for timorous when the writing is meant to sound formal or a little grand.

If you simply want to say如果你只是想說 someone is not brave某人不勇敢，'timid' is'timid'是 the safer everyday choice比較保險的日常說法；reach for timorous才用timorous when the writing is meant to sound formal or a little grand當文章想聽起來正式或有點宏偉時。