as in afraid
having or showing a shameful lack of courage
too chickenhearted to speak up, even though she knew a terrible injustice was being committed
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chickenhearted
Adjective
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Don’t be afraid to wear these shoes to the fullest.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Feb. 2026 -
Thank you for your attempt at helping in the noble cause of mannerliness, but Miss Manners is afraid that your suggestion represents the problem, not the solution.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
While protesters may be frightened and grieving after last month's bloodbath, they're not mollified.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Inside the bathysphere of the novel, readers make contact with a darkness that our frightened minds might otherwise reject.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The holiday marks the arrival of spring in the Vietnamese calendar, and our house fills with yellow apricot blossoms, chrysanthemums, and marigolds.—
Lisa Wong Macabasco,
Vogue,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Last month, the model posed in a cozy butter yellow bra and legging set from Alo as part of a campaign for the athleisure brand.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Some also have lost lawyers, dismayed by the pusillanimous behavior of their leaders.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2025
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The second believed the United States could attain comprehensive security through military-technological means and saw diplomacy as a quixotic or pusillanimous enterprise that dishonored and weakened the country.—
A. Wess Mitchell,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The tight-lipped kids are more ready to trust her, and one clearly scared girl references the diner from the prologue.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 2026
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Among your characters, the men, outside of Sam Rockwell, look scared and the women do the heavy-lifting to save the world.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But to defend books coverage in these craven terms is already to concede too much.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
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Assad’s betrayal was so breathtakingly craven that some people had trouble believing it at first.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
14 Feb. 2026
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As with any sauce, be careful not to over-reduce.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Political courage is needed, especially from the cowardly, groveling Congress.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
18 Jan. 2026
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Therefore, the cowardly officer could’ve later arrested her or simply disabled the vehicle by shooting out a tire with the same accuracy.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
15 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Chickenhearted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chickenhearted. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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