lily-livered
3
9.9
- adjective
- /ˈlɪliˌlɪvərd/
- Offensive
:
cobarde
- No one respects a lily-livered leader who shies away from difficult decisions.
Examples
-
Liberty is not for lily-livered sheep who are all too eager to surrender freedom for a false sense of security.
Blog text (14) -
Some might say that this was too lily-livered.
Academic text (1995) -
That mealy-mouthed, lily-livered sheriff has gone far enough.
-
You know I'm right, but you're just too lily-livered to say it for yourself.
Fiction book (1991) -
They want someone lily-livered and weak and spineless, like they are.
-
And still you wriggle away like the yellow-bellied, lily-livered coward that you are.
Blog text (14) -
Though I've always supposed Mr. Macintosh was rather a lily-livered sort; most Scots I've known were relatively impervious to rain.
Fiction book (1992) -
What do you think Ike would say about lily-livered politicians who put their own party's political agenda ahead of the good of the nation, putting partisanship before alleviating the suffering of the people they're supposed to serve?
Blog text (26) -
He was too lily-livered to stand up for himself during the meeting.
-
The lily-livered soldier hesitated to confront the enemy, fearing for his safety.
Synonyms
143
1.3
Feeling afraid or nervous and easily frightened
84
3.9
Feeling fear and avoiding dangerous or difficult situations
60
7.9
Not brave and easily frightened
60
3.5
Shy and afraid to do new or risky things
24
5.7
Lacking strength, courage, or strong flavor
11
8.7
Being very afraid and not willing to face danger
5
7.9
Being too afraid to do things that need courage
5
7.2
Easily frightened and not willing to take risks
3
6.8
Easily frightened and likely to avoid hard or scary things
2
9.9
Easily afraid and not willing to take risks
1
7.7
Too afraid to try risky or difficult things
Very afraid and not willing to face danger
Being very easily frightened and not brave
Antonyms
How Brave
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Lily-livered comes from old beliefs about the body: lily meant 'pale' and liver was thought to hold a person's 'courage', so a 'pale liver' showed someone who lacked bravery. So, Lily-livered means cowardly or lacking courage.