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chicken

chicken

57 8.4
A person who is easily frightened and not brave
  • noun
  • /ˈtʃɪkən/
  • Offensive
: cobarde
  • - Don't be such a chicken.

Examples

  • You don't have to be a chicken to make an omelet.

  • Don't be such a chicken!

  • "I thought you were a chicken."

  • Are you chicken, Charlie?

  • "Mira, Mama," said Tony, "it's the chicken who was too chicken to cross the cesspool."

    Fiction book (1994)
  • No, you're his only chance, but you're too goddamn chicken to help him.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Don't be a chicken.

  • Mommy: Nathan knew he wasn't a chicken, but he didn't like it when Ben said he was.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Don't be such a chicken; there's nothing to be afraid of.

  • He felt like a chicken when he backed out of the challenge at the last moment.

Synonyms

coward
vschicken
  • Offensive
358 2.3

A person who is too afraid to face danger or hard things

is more informal and often used for ordinary fears not extreme danger
wimp
vschicken
  • Offensive
93 6.3

A person who is easily frightened or lacks confidence

is used mainly for fearfulness or lack of courage not general weakness
fraidy-cat
vschicken
  • Informal
3 8.1

A person who gets scared easily

is a general informal term not focused on children
fraidy
vschicken
  • Informal
1 9.9

A person who is easily frightened

is used for lacking real courage rather than mild timidity
chicken-heart
vschicken
  • Offensive
1 8.9

A person who is easily frightened and avoids danger

is the informal single word rather than the hyphenated form
scaredy-cat
vschicken
  • Offensive
1 7.4

A person who gets scared easily by not very dangerous things

is used more for real lack of courage rather than small fears

Antonyms

860 1.0

Has courage when facing danger, pain or fear

117 3.4

Shows courage in dangerous or hard situations

Idioms

to play chicken
  • Informal
14 8.8

Act dangerously to see who gives up first

1 9.9

To touch a man's penis to make him sexually excited

A person who thinks they are special and sometimes feels out of place

Compounds

37 1.0

The wing of a chicken cooked and eaten as a snack

37 1.0

A hot soup made with chicken and vegetables that people eat for comfort when sick

27 2.0

A contagious illness that causes an itchy red rash and blisters

26 1.0

A salad of cooked chicken mixed with mayonnaise, often with celery or grapes

A sandwich with cooked chicken between slices of bread

18 1.0

Chicken cooked in an oven until brown and served as a main meal

15 1.0

A clear warm liquid made by cooking chicken slowly to add flavor to soups

14 1.3

A small building where people keep chickens

14 1.7

A flavorful liquid made by simmering chicken meat, bones, and vegetables in water for soups and sauces

Chicken Little
  • Literature
9 8.1

A person who panics about small problems and warns others without reason

9 3.4

A light, flexible wire mesh with small six-sided holes used to make fences for chickens and gardens

spring chicken
  • Informal
6 6.7

A young person who has little experience, sometimes used with no to say someone is not young

A soup with pieces of chicken, noodles, and vegetables in hot chicken broth

5 1.0

The lower part of a chicken that people eat

4 2.8

Food given to chickens, usually dry mash

chicken feed
  • Informal
4 6.8

A very small amount of money that is not important

4 1.9

A place where people raise chickens for meat or eggs

A chicken raised outdoors with space to move around and find food

chicken scratch
  • Informal
4 8.4

Messy handwriting that is hard to read

A dish of chicken cooked in a spicy sauce often served with rice

A dish of rice cooked with pieces of chicken and mild seasonings, served warm

The liver of a chicken that people eat

3 8.0

A brown spotted bird that lives in North American grasslands and makes a low booming call during mating

An Italian chicken dish cooked in tomatoes, mushrooms, and herbs

A baked dish of chicken and vegetables cooked together in the oven

3 3.4

A boneless chicken breast filled with seasoned butter, rolled, breaded and fried

2 8.2

A hawk that eats or attacks chickens

2 1.0

A folded tortilla filled with cooked chicken and toppings like salsa and cheese

2 1.0

A dish of chicken pieces cooked slowly with vegetables in liquid

chicken hawk
  • Offensive
1 9.3

A person who supports war but never served in the military

1 9.6

A large brown bird that lives in North American grasslands and makes loud mating calls

A fertilizer made from chicken droppings that makes soil richer

The lower part of a chicken's leg that people cook and eat

A creamy pasta dish with chicken and mushrooms often topped with cheese

chicken breast
  • Archaic
1 8.2

A bone in the chest that sticks out, often in children with rickets

A chicken dish of thin slices rolled around ham and cheese then cooked

A Hungarian dish of chicken cooked in a paprika sauce with sour cream

chicken-heart
  • Offensive
1 8.9

A person who is easily frightened and avoids danger

A young chicken that is tender and good for roasting

Pieces of grilled chicken on a wooden stick sold as a quick snack

A Japanese dish of chicken covered in a sweet soy sauce and often grilled

1 8.2

A small grassland bird in western Texas and nearby areas that dances to attract mates

1 2.2

An enclosed outdoor area where chickens live and move

1 1.7

A yard where chickens are kept

A dish of chicken in broth with onions and paprika, usually served with sour cream

A smooth, creamy spread made from cooked chicken served as an appetizer

A smooth creamy spread made from chicken liver and served on toast

chicken sexer
  • Specialized
1 9.3

A person who tells if chicks are male or female

A dish of chicken cooked with onions and mushrooms in wine and tomato sauce

A sweet, spicy deep-fried chicken dish often served in Chinese-American restaurants

A small white vulture with a yellow face found in Africa and parts of Europe and Asia

An Italian chicken dish cooked with tomatoes, mushrooms, and herbs

1 7.4

A large harmless North American snake that eats birds and eggs

A small insect that lives on chickens and other birds and eats their blood

1 9.9

A chest where the breastbone sticks out

A dish of chicken cooked in a tomato, garlic, and olive oil sauce with herbs from Provence

1 9.9

A large goose with a long neck that often hisses or chases people

bin chicken
  • Australian
9.9

A white bird that looks for food in city bins

A thick rice stew with chicken from the southern United States

chicken roundworm
  • Specialized
7.8

A worm that lives in the intestines of chickens and other birds and makes them sick

A dish of chicken fried, baked, and served with milk gravy

A small seabird that flies low over the sea and often appears before storms

A chicken dish cooked with tomatoes, mushrooms, and herbs in an Italian style

How Brave

hero
∞ 1.1
brave
860 1.0
coward
  • Offensive
358 2.3
chicken
  • Offensive
57 8.4
scaredy-cat
  • Offensive
1 7.4

Surface Forms

chicken singular
chickens plural

Etymology

Calling someone a chicken for being afraid comes from the idea that chickens are nervous and quick to run away. That's why 'chicken' became a simple word for a person who is 'easily frightened'.