lily-livered

adjective

ˈli-lē-ˈli-vərd How to pronounce lily-livered (audio)
Definition of lily-liverednext
as in afraid
having or showing a shameful lack of courage the pacifist was mistakenly accused of being a lily-livered coward

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lily-livered Contrary to the nationalist account, resistance has not generally been the result of America’s leaders being weak-kneed and lily-livered. — Ronald R. Krebs, Foreign Affairs, 29 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lily-livered
  1. afraid
  2. pusillanimous
  3. cowardly
  4. craven
  5. frightened
  6. spineless
  7. scared
  8. gutless
Adjective
  • Trust your board, adapt to your league mates and don’t be afraid to take the swings that can win you the league.
    — Jonathan Rubin, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Brian Austin Green isn’t afraid to talk about what happens to men after 50.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of afraid
Adjective
  • Some also have lost lawyers, dismayed by the pusillanimous behavior of their leaders.
    — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025
  • 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
Definition of pusillanimous
Adjective
  • What’s left is a vaguely political YouTube series afraid of its own tail, incapable of being actually relatable and too cowardly to own the batshit truths of these people’s lives.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The trans actor Elliot Page plays Sinon, a poor boy from Ithaca who is brave enough to travel with Odysseus in place of the cowardly aristocrat Antinous, played by Robert Pattinson.
    — Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026
Definition of cowardly
Adjective
  • She was especially hurt that some of the people who criticized Cox most harshly, dismissing him as craven and disingenuous, were those who had the closest relationships with him.
    — McKay Coppins, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Not an inspiration for craven pundits and politicians to use players as divisive avatars.
    — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of craven
Adjective
  • In the second test, 12 dogs were shown happy faces, as well as sad, frightened, and angry ones.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Hilton’s sister, Barbara Giarraffa, frightened fans and TikTok moderators were among those who called authorities.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of frightened
Adjective
  • And now the nation will probably never get back to normal because a spineless GOP can never admit that it’s been conned.
    — Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 22 May 2026
  • Some of Thomas’s critique appeared to be aimed at weak-willed conservatives, including his fellow-Justices, for being, as Thomas perceives it, too spineless to stand up for the ideals enshrined in the Declaration.
    — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
Definition of spineless
Adjective
  • Across the playground, Star climbed to the top of a slide, then got too scared to come down.
    — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The movie is skipping festivals, which suggests that Warners is scared of critics.
    — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of scared
Adjective
  • Forget about the networks, the streaming money is just going to continue to get bigger, especially at a time when there are almost as many pay channels as there are gutless members of Congress.
    — Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Trump’s revenge tour also took down five Indiana state senators who had voted against the midterm gerrymandering to which Florida’s gutless Republicans have agreed.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 29 May 2026
Definition of gutless

Browse Nearby Words

lilts
lily-livered
lily-white
See all Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Lily-livered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lily-livered. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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