chicken-hearted en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
From chicken + hearted, after chicken heart. Compare hen-hearted.
Meanings
-
Not brave; lacking courage; cowardly.
This chicken-hearted couple, by the light of a rush-candle that burned on the hearth, seeing a stranger burst into the chamber, in such a terrible attitude, were seized with consternation […].
1751, [Tobias] Smollett, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), London: Harrison and Co., […], →OCLC:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more chicken-hearted | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most chicken-hearted | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Antonyms
chivalrous · brass-balled · heroic · intrepid · doughty · gutsy · unafraid · plucky · aweless · stalwart · adventurous · valorous · fearless · undaunted · orped · bad · fortitudinous · stalworth · mettlesome · courageous · daredevil · lionhearted · bold · gallant · valiant · venturesome · dauntless · lionhearted · stouthearted · daring
Deriveds
chicken-heartedness · chicken-heartedly
Synonyms
fraidy · niddering · recrayed · cowardy · mousy · kiasi · nithing · dastard · cowish · pusillanimous · invertebrate · backboneless · bitch-ass · cravenhearted · pussylike · craven · boneless · dickless · fainthearted · nerveless · cringey · invalorous · cowardish · fearful · poltroonish · miching · chicken · milky · dastardly · hen-hearted · cowhearted · pigeon-livered · wimpish · liver-hearted · gizzardless · white-livered · timorous · yellow · sissy · mouse-hearted · dough-faced · white-hearted · nidering · liver-faced · punk · base · lily-livered · courageless · heartless · poor-spirited · gutless · low-hearted · nutless · rabbit-hearted · unhearty · yellow-bellied · chicken-hearted · cowardly · spineless · chickenshit · retromingent · niding · hen-hearted · soft · candy-assed · chicken-livered · milk-livered · caitiff · timid · weak-kneed · ratlike
Translations (9)
es gallina (lacking courage) · hu gyáva (lacking courage) · hu nyúlszívű (lacking courage) · sv harhjärtad (lacking courage) · de ängstlich (lacking courage) · fi jänishousuinen (lacking courage) · sv feg (lacking courage) · de furchtsam (lacking courage) · io poltrona (lacking courage)