rabbit-hearted
Quick to flee
Rabbit-hearted means timid or cowardly, evoking the skittish, easily frightened nature of rabbits.
The term suggests someone who startles at small threats or lacks courage when facing difficulty: He was too rabbit-hearted to speak up in the meeting.
The word is literary and uncommon, more likely to appear in poetry or older fiction than everyday speech.
Lacking courage or confidence
- cowardlyWithout bravery or nerve
- skittishProne to nervous fright
- nervousUneasy and apprehensive
- tremblingInvoluntary shaking motion
anxious · meek · spineless · gutless · yellow-bellied · lily-livered · mousy · shrinking
Abruptly surprised or alarmed
- boltingDeparting at speed
- fleeingRapid escape from danger
- jumpyNervously reactive to stimuli
- twitchyNervously prone to spasms
flighty · panicky · spooked · darting · escaping · retreating · running · scampering
Soft and kind
harmless · innocent · vulnerable · sensitive · delicate · unassuming · submissive · passive
timid
Lacking courage or confidence
trembling · anxious · meek · spineless · gutless · yellow-bellied · lily-livered · mousy · shrinking · quaking
startled
Abruptly surprised or alarmed
twitchy · flighty · panicky · spooked · darting · escaping · retreating · running · scampering · on-edge
gentle
Soft and kind
docile · harmless · innocent · vulnerable · sensitive · delicate · unassuming · submissive · passive · yielding
rabbit-heartedbrave
Showing courage despite fear
courageous · bold · fearless · lionhearted · valiant
rabbit-heartedlionhearted
Exceptionally brave and bold
lion-hearted · hawkish · wolfish · bull-headed · eagle-eyed
rabbit-heartedaggressive
Hostile and confrontational
assertive · forceful · resolute · steely · hard-nosed
heart, rabbit, rabbits, disheartened, dishearten, hearted, lionhearted, fainthearted, stouthearted