chickenhearted

chick·en·heart·ed

adj \ˈchi-kən-ˌhär-təd\

Definition of CHICKENHEARTED

: timid, cowardly <too…chickenhearted to accompany me in this perilous undertaking — Washington Irving>

Examples of CHICKENHEARTED

1. <too chickenhearted to speak up, even though she knew a terrible injustice was being committed>

First Known Use of CHICKENHEARTED

1653

Related to CHICKENHEARTED

Synonyms: chicken, cowardly, chicken-livered, craven, dastardly, gutless, lily-livered, milk-livered [archaic], poltroon, pusillanimous, recreant, spineless, unheroic, yellow

Antonyms: brave, courageous, daring, dauntless, doughty, fearless, gallant, greathearted, gutsy, hardy, heroic (also heroical), intrepid, lionhearted, stalwart, stout, stouthearted, valiant, valorous

Related Words: diffident, fainthearted, fearful, timid, timorous; afraid, frightened, scared; careful, cautious, wary; bashful, coy, shy; feeble, soft, unmanly, weak

Near Antonyms: audacious, bold, brazen, cheeky, nervy; plucky, spirited, spunky; determined, resolute

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Rhymes with CHICKENHEARTED

brokenhearted, heavyhearted, lionhearted, openhearted, single-hearted, stonyhearted, tenderhearted