temerosos

Temerosos is a Spanish term used to describe people or attitudes inclined toward fear or timidity. As an adjective, it characterizes someone as fearful or easily frightened. In noun form, the plural los temerosos can refer to individuals who display such fearfulness. The word is less common in neutral contemporary speech than miedoso or cobarde, and it often carries a evaluative nuance, implying a tendency toward fear rather than a single act of fear.

Etymology and meaning: Temerosos derives from temer, meaning to fear, with the suffix -oso. The verb temer comes from Latin timere, and the related noun temor denotes fear. The term emphasizes a general disposition toward fearfulness rather than a one-time reaction.

Usage and context: Temerosos frequently appears in literary or rhetorical contexts to label characters or groups marked by caution or apprehension, contrasting with brave or audacious figures. In religious or moral writing, temerosos may symbolize fearfulness as a flaw or as a prudent but limited stance. In modern prose, the word remains primarily literary or descriptive and can carry pejorative or neutral connotations depending on context.

See also: Temor, miedo, temeridad, miedoso, cobarde.