Usage patterns 〈 人ひと 〉 を 弱よわ 虫むし と 言い う to call someone a coward
It's cruel to call him a coward.
弱よわ 虫むし になる to turn into a coward
Don't become a coward just because you failed once.
弱よわ 虫むし のくせに despite being a coward (used mockingly)
Don't yell so loud when you're such a coward.
Related words· 6 臆病者 is more formal and direct than 弱虫 , framing timidity as a character flaw rather than a teasing insult.
怖がり simply describes someone who is easily scared, lacking the 'weakling' or moral-failing nuance carried by 弱虫 .
意気地なし is a stronger, more contemptuous put-down for lacking willpower or backbone, whereas 弱虫 is often used lightly in teasing.
へたれ is casual slang for a spineless or feeble person, similar in tone to 弱虫 but more modern and colloquial.
Show 2 more Show fewer 弱虫 is the common, milder word for 'weakling/coward', while 味噌 in this sense (as in 弱味噌 ) is a more derogatory, colloquial slang term.
弱虫 is a more colloquial and derogatory term for a weakling or coward, often used in teasing or insults, whereas 臆病 is a neutral descriptor of a fearful disposition.
Written forms 弱よわ 虫むし Usage 94%
Standard kanji spelling; high priority.
よわむし Usage 6%
Kana spelling is common in casual writing and for clarity.
Etymology Compound of 弱 (yowa, 'weak') and 虫 (mushi, 'bug, worm'), using 虫 in the figurative sense of a person with a certain trait (cf. 泣き虫 , 本の虫 ).
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