jelly-fish

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Marine animal: A "jellyfish" is a free-swimming marine animal with a gelatinous, umbrella-shaped body and trailing tentacles. It belongs to the phylum Cnidaria.
   • Weak-willed person (informal, chiefly US): A "jellyfish" can also refer to a person who is weak, indecisive, or lacking in firmness of character.

Usage Examples

• Marine animal:

  • We saw a jellyfish floating near the surface of the water. (A marine creature with a soft, translucent body.)
  • Be careful not to touch the tentacles of a jellyfish; they can sting. (The stinging appendages of the animal.)

• Weak-willed person:

  • He's a jellyfish when it comes to making decisions; he always agrees with everyone. (A person who is indecisive and lacks backbone.)
  • Don't be such a jellyfish — stand up for what you believe in! (An insult meaning the person is weak or spineless.)

Advanced Usage

• "Jellyfish swarm": A large group of jellyfish moving together, often seen in coastal waters.

  • The beach was closed due to a jellyfish swarm near the shore. (A dense aggregation of these animals.)

• "Jellyfish sting": The painful reaction caused by contact with a jellyfish's tentacles.

  • A jellyfish sting can be treated with vinegar to neutralize the venom. (The injury from the animal's nematocysts.)

Variants and Related Words

• Jellyfish-like (adj): resembling a jellyfish in appearance or behavior.

  • The creature had a jellyfish-like body, translucent and pulsing. (Similar to a jellyfish.)

• Jellyfish bloom (n): a sudden, rapid increase in the jellyfish population in a given area.

  • Scientists are studying the causes of frequent jellyfish blooms in the Mediterranean. (A population explosion of jellyfish.)

Synonyms

• Marine animal: medusa (the adult, free-swimming stage of jellyfish), sea jelly.
• Weak person: wimp, pushover, doormat, weakling.

Related Idioms

• "Like a jellyfish out of water": feeling helpless, vulnerable, or out of one's element.

  • When asked to speak in public, he felt like a jellyfish out of water. (Extremely uncomfortable and powerless.)

• "Spineless as a jellyfish": completely lacking courage or determination.

  • Her boss is spineless as a jellyfish; he never enforces the rules. (Utterly weak-willed.)