yellow-bellied
Americanadjective
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having a yellow abdomen or underside.
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Slang. cowardly; lily-livered.
Etymology
Origin of yellow-bellied
First recorded in 1700–10
Explanation
To be yellow-bellied is to be cowardly or easily scared. If you're yellow-bellied, you're not brave. It’s the kind of word cowboys use, partner. This word originally applied to birds that literally have a yellow belly, like the yellow-bellied sapsucker. From there, it came to mean an insult for cowards. If you're afraid to ask someone on a date, you're yellow-bellied. If you're easily frightened or spooked, you're yellow-bellied. This is often used as an insult or challenge, like "What are you, yellow-bellied?!"
Vocabulary lists containing yellow-bellied
Idioms and Expressions, List 3
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Bridge to Terabithia
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Into the Wild
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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.
Because yellow-bellied sea snakes are completely adapted to living in the ocean, they are helpless and virtually unable to move if they wash up on the beach.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
It studies the yellow-bellied marmot, one of the 15 recognised species of marmot found in the Northern Hemisphere.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
A yellow-bellied marmot shown on a trail camera in Montana.
From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2024
Documented examples have included California condors, Komodo dragons and yellow-bellied water snakes.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 13, 2024
Sometimes he acted like the original yellow-bellied sapsucker.
From "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Paterson
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.
