pigeon-hearted

American

[pij-uhn-hahr-tid] / ˈpɪdʒ ənˈhɑr tɪd /

adjective

timid; meek.

pigeon-hearted British

adjective

of a timid or fearful disposition

"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

Etymology

Origin of pigeon-hearted

First recorded in 1615–25

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Delightful haven to pigeon-hearted malefactors—inconsistent criminals, who fear the puny look of mortal man, and, unabashed, stalk beneath the eternal and the killing frown of God.

From Project Gutenberg

This fellow is pigeon-hearted and light-headed.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023