gutless

/ˈgʌtləs/

Calling someone gutless is a mean way to say they're timid or cowardly, like your gutless cat, who runs in fear whenever he sees a mouse.

Perhaps the most famously gutless character is the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz, whose cowardice made him cry and tremble despite his attempts at being ferocious. The adjective gutless dates from about 1900, from the informal guts, "spirit or courage." It takes guts to confront a bully, but it's gutless to pick on smaller kids and run away from bigger ones.

Definitions of gutless

1. adjective

   lacking courage or vitality
   “he was a yellow gutless worm”

   antonyms:

   gutsy

   marked by courage and determination in the face of difficulties or danger; robust and uninhibited
2. adjective

   weak in willpower, courage or vitality
   synonyms: namby-pamby, spineless, wishy-washy

   weak

   wanting in physical strength