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definitions

chicken-hearted

[chik-uh n-hahr-tid]
See more synonyms for chicken-hearted on Thesaurus.com
adjective Informal.
  1. timid; fearful; cowardly.

Origin of chicken-hearted

An Americanism dating back to 1675–85
Related formschick·en-heart·ed·ly, adverbchick·en-heart·ed·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for chickenhearted

chicken, craven, fearful, lily-livered, pusillanimous, spineless, timid, yellow, faint-hearted, yellow-bellied

Examples from the Web for chickenhearted

Historical Examples of chickenhearted

  • Come, come, Monseigneur, you are chickenhearted; come with us.

    Cinq Mars, Complete

    Alfred de Vigny

  • A voice behind him is heard saying nearly aloud, "Don't be chickenhearted."

British Dictionary definitions for chickenhearted

chicken-hearted

chicken-livered

adjective
  1. easily frightened; cowardly
Derived Formschicken-heartedly, adverbchicken-heartedness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012