chicken
- noun
- /ˈtʃɪkən/
- Offensive
- - 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
A person who is too afraid to face danger or hard things
A person who is easily frightened or lacks confidence
A person who gets scared easily
A person who gets scared easily by not very dangerous things
A person who is easily frightened and avoids danger
A person who is easily frightened
Antonyms
Idioms
- Informal
A person who thinks they are special and sometimes feels out of place
Compounds
A hot soup made with chicken and vegetables that people eat for comfort when sick
A flavorful liquid made by simmering chicken meat, bones, and vegetables in water for soups and sauces
A light, flexible wire mesh with small six-sided holes used to make fences for chickens and gardens
A soup with pieces of chicken, noodles, and vegetables in hot chicken broth
A dish of rice cooked with pieces of chicken and mild seasonings, served warm
A brown spotted bird that lives in North American grasslands and makes a low booming call during mating
- Specialized
A small grassland bird in western Texas and nearby areas that dances to attract mates
A small seabird that flies low over the sea and often appears before storms
- Informal
A young person who has little experience, sometimes used with no to say someone is not young
- Literature
A person who panics about small problems and warns others without reason
A dish of chicken in broth with onions and paprika, usually served with sour cream
A dish of chicken cooked in a tomato, garlic, and olive oil sauce with herbs from Provence
- Specialized
A worm that lives in the intestines of chickens and other birds and makes them sick
A sweet, spicy deep-fried chicken dish often served in Chinese-American restaurants
- Specialized
A large brown bird that lives in North American grasslands and makes loud mating calls
A chicken dish cooked with tomatoes, mushrooms, and herbs in an Italian style
A small white vulture with a yellow face found in Africa and parts of Europe and Asia
How Brave
- Offensive
- Offensive
- Offensive
Surface Forms
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'.