wuss

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

A weak, ineffectual, cowardly, or timid person.

Register: derogatory, slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

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

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “wuss” mean?

A weak, ineffectual, cowardly, or timid person.

Is “wuss” formal or informal?

wuss is generally derogatory, slang.