white-livered

Examples

• All

• Not this greasepaint hero, this puny, rabbit-hearted, white-livered buffoon!

  The Pirate (1948)

• The white-livered soldier hesitated to charge into battle.

• " Unhand me, you white-livered sons of goats!" he shouted, struggling.

  Fiction book (1992)

• He called him a white-livered coward for running away from the fight.

• She let the white-livered excuse of fear stop her from trying new things.

Synonyms

C

cowardly

vswhite-livered

84 3.9

Feeling fear and avoiding dangerous or difficult situations

is an intensifying term that marks very pronounced fear or timidity

Y

yellow

vswhite-livered

• Offensive

60 7.9

Not brave and easily frightened

is a stronger intensified term stressing very marked timidity

C

craven

vswhite-livered

• Formal

11 8.7

Being very afraid and not willing to face danger

is very fearful too but without the same moral condemnation

Y

yellow-bellied

vswhite-livered

• Offensive

5 7.9

Being too afraid to do things that need courage

is equally fearful but avoids the same vivid insulting image

C

chicken

vswhite-livered

• Offensive

5 7.2

Easily frightened and not willing to take risks

is a more general or serious expression beyond casual speech

L

lily-livered

vswhite-livered

• Offensive

3 9.9

Not brave and easily frightened

is a stronger label highlighting very marked fear and lack of bravery

C

chickenhearted

vswhite-livered

• Offensive

8.9

Being very easily frightened and not brave

is a harsher label pointing to more extreme and obvious fear

Antonyms

B

brave

906 1.0

Has courage when facing danger, pain or fear

F

fearless

117 3.4

Shows courage in dangerous or hard situations

How Cowardly

white-livered

• Offensive

9.9

cowardly

84 3.9

faint-hearted

3 6.8

timid

1 3.5

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology