chicken
- adjective
- /ˈtʃɪkən/
- Offensive
- 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
Feeling fear and avoiding dangerous or difficult situations
Not brave and easily frightened
Being very afraid and not willing to face danger
Being too afraid to do things that need courage
Not brave and easily frightened
Being very easily frightened and not brave
Very afraid and not willing to face danger
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
Surface Forms
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.