Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Faint-hearted; lacking courage: Describes a person who is weak in spirit, easily frightened, and lacks the bravery or resolve to face difficulty or danger.
   • Morally weak; pusillanimous: Characterized by a contemptible lack of courage or determination, often suggesting a failure to do what is right due to fear.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Hắn là một kẻ hèn yếu, không dám đứng lên bảo vệ lẽ phải. (He is a faint-hearted person, not daring to stand up for what is right.)
  • Tinh thần hèn yếu sẽ không bao giờ dẫn đến thành công. (A pusillanimous spirit will never lead to success.)
  • Đừng tỏ ra hèn yếu trước những đe dọa. (Don't appear faint-hearted in the face of threats.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is strongly pejorative and is used to criticize character, not just temporary fear. It implies a deep-seated weakness of will.

Variants and Related Words

• Hèn nhát (adj): Cowardly. Often used interchangeably with hèn yếu, but can emphasize a more active avoidance of danger.

  • Kẻ hèn nhát luôn tìm cách trốn tránh. (A coward always finds a way to hide.)

• Yếu đuối (adj): Weak, feeble. Primarily describes physical or general weakness, not specifically moral or courageous failing.

  • Sau cơn bệnh, cơ thể cô ấy rất yếu đuối. (After the illness, her body was very weak.)

Synonyms

• Cowardly: Lacking courage.
• Timid: Showing a lack of courage or confidence.
• Spineless: Lacking determination or strength of character.

Related Idioms

• Máu hèn yếu: Literally "faint-hearted blood," meaning an inherently cowardly nature.
  • Hắn có máu hèn yếu, không phải là lãnh đạo. (He has a faint-hearted nature; he is not a leader.)

adj

1. pusillanimous, faint-hearted