This adjective describes people who are faint-hearted, discouraged, or lacking courage—literally those with 'little soul' (ὀλίγος + ψυχή). In 1 Thessalonians 5:14, Paul urges, 'Encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all.' The context distinguishes different groups needing care: the disorderly, the fainthearted, the weak. These are believers whose courage or spirits flag under pressure or difficulty. The pastoral response is not rebuke but encouragement—strengthening those whose resolve wavers.