Ignavusaurus is a basal sauropodomorph dinosaur genus that inhabited the regions of present-day Lesotho during the Early Jurassic period, approximately 200 million years ago. Its remains were recovered from the Upper Elliot Formation, likely originating from the Hettangian age. This remarkable dinosaur is known from a partial but well-preserved articulated skeleton. The holotype was found in southern Lesotho, near Ha Ralekoala. While most of the skeleton was remarkably well-preserved, the skull was found in a considerably damaged state, fragmented into more than 120 pieces.

The name Ignavusaurus is a fusion of Latin and Ancient Greek, with "ignavus" signifying "coward" in Latin, and "sauros" meaning "lizard" in Ancient Greek. This nomenclature is inspired by the type locality, Ha Ralekoala, which translates to "The place of the father of the coward." The holotype individual had an estimated body length of around 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) and weighed approximately 22.5 kilograms (50 pounds). In-depth analysis of the humerus and femur through histology suggests that BM HR 20, the holotype, was a fast-growing individual, possibly less than one year old, based on age determination research.

Much like its fellow early sauropodomorphs, Ignavusaurus possessed a lengthy and slender neck, along with an extended tail.