boneless.

1. Lacking bones or a firm skeletal structure; of a body or movement, unnervingly limp and unsupported.

2. Lacking firmness, energy, or resolve; weak in manner or effect.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• boneless body
• boneless hand
• boneless movement
• boneless response
• boneless refusal
• boneless performance

On the page

The creature’s boneless hand bent backward across the table.

His boneless refusal dissolved as soon as the inspector entered.

Usage notes

The literal sense concerns an absence of bones; figuratively it suggests limpness or weakness, and should not be used for ordinary softness. Sense 2: This figurative use is critical and informal-to-literary; “spineless” adds a stronger accusation of cowardice.