white-livered
Americanadjective
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lacking courage; cowardly; lily-livered.
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lacking in vitality or spirit; pale; unhealthy.
adjective
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lacking in spirit or courage
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pallid and unhealthy in appearance
Etymology
Origin of white-livered
First recorded in 1540–50
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.
That will separate the men from the boys, the ones with guts and the ones too white-livered to face Hoffa and his racketeers.
From Time Magazine Archive
“Nor ’e ain’t so awful white-livered neither,” said William.
From The Tale of Timber Town by Grace, Alfred A. (Alfred Augustus)
The white-livered mayors even affected to fly into a passion.
From History of the Commune of 1871 by Lissagary, P.
I’ll take it home to Brichtiva my wife,—she’s not so white-livered as thou.”
From One Snowy Night Long ago at Oxford by Irwin, M. (Madelaine)
But these were mocked at by the rest, as white-livered, and Morgan having divided the provisions between the garrison and the St. Catherine129 prisoners, reviewed his men, and examined himself their arms and ammunition.
From The Monarchs of the Main, Volume II (of 3) Or, Adventures of the Buccaneers by Thornbury, Walter
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
