yellow-bellied
Definition
Adjective: 1. Cowardly, easily frightened: Describes a person or creature that lacks courage and is prone to fear or timidity. This term often implies a contemptuous or mocking judgment of someone's character.
Usage
This adjective is used attributively (before a noun) or predictively (after a linking verb) to describe a person or, less commonly, an animal's lack of bravery. - Attributive use: He was a yellow-bellied traitor. - Predictive use: Don't be yellow-bellied; stand up for yourself.
Examples
Advanced Usage
- The term is informal and often used in a derogatory or humorous context. It is more common in spoken English or in genres like adventure stories, westerns, or casual insults than in formal writing.
- It can be part of a compound noun: yellow-belly (noun), meaning a coward.
- He's nothing but a yellow-belly.
Variants and Related Words
- Yellow-belly (noun): A coward.
- They branded him a yellow-belly for running away.
Synonyms
- Cowardly
- Timid
- Faint-hearted
- Chicken-hearted (informal)
- Gutless (informal)
Antonyms
- Brave
- Courageous
- Fearless
- Valiant
Idioms and Related Phrases
- Yellow streak (down one's back): A trait of cowardice.
- He showed a yellow streak when he refused the challenge.
- While not a phrasal verb, the term yellow-bellied itself functions as a fixed, idiomatic adjective.
Adjective
-
easily frightened
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