yellow-bellied

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yellow-bellied

A small yellow-bellied bird hides in its nest during a thunderstorm.

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.
yellow-bellied

A small yellow-bellied bird hides in its nest during a thunderstorm.

Adjective
  1. easily frightened

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