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chicken

chicken

47 7.2
Easily frightened and not willing to take risks
  • adjective
  • /ˈtʃɪkən/
  • Offensive
: cobarde
  • We sent our son down the backyard lawn on his bike because we were too chicken to teach him on the concrete.
  • too chicken
  • be chicken to tell
  • be chicken to go

Examples

  • I'm too chicken to try it; it seems so scary!!

    Blog text (5)
  • I was too chicken.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Most kids are too chicken though.

  • And the trouble is, most people are too chicken to make those mistakes.

  • I'm too chicken to even talk to her.

  • At least you weren't too chicken to try.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • I was too chicken to go look, you know, but I felt this cool breeze go across my face like, I don't know, it made the hair on my arms stand straight up.

  • Only your lunkhead boyfriend is too chicken to do the smart thing," blurted Chuck.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • And very brave because you speak your mind, and a lot of times you say things that I would be too chicken to say... but I do think them... and that's why you're so funny, probably.

    Blog text (32)
  • He's always too chicken to ask her out on a date.

Synonyms

cowardly
vschicken
81 3.9

Feeling fear and avoiding dangerous or difficult situations

is an informal shorter label for that same tendency
craven
vschicken
  • Formal
15 8.7

Being very afraid and not willing to face danger

is an informal label that lacks strong moral condemnation
yellow
vschicken
  • Offensive
11 7.9

Not brave and easily frightened

is an informal everyday word rather than a simple adjective
yellow-bellied
vschicken
  • Offensive
4 7.9

Being too afraid to do things that need courage

is a shorter informal label rather than a compound phrase
lily-livered
vschicken
  • Offensive
4 9.9

Not brave and easily frightened

is an informal everyday word rather than an idiomatic phrase
chickenhearted
vschicken
  • Offensive
1 8.9

Being very easily frightened and not brave

is an informal spoken label rather than a neutral description
white-livered
vschicken
  • Offensive
1 9.9

Very afraid and not willing to face danger

is a milder informal term for lacking courage

Antonyms

860 1.0

Has courage when facing danger, pain or fear

156 3.3

Not afraid to face danger or problems

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

courageous
156 3.3
cowardly
81 3.9
chicken
  • Offensive
47 7.2
timid
56 3.5

Surface Forms

chicken positive

Etymology

As an adjective, chicken means 'easily frightened' or cowardly, coming from the same idea that chickens seem timid. So to call someone 'chicken' is to say they are not brave.