yellow bellies
Lacking in courage
Yellow bellies is a plural noun referring to cowards or people who lack courage.
The term derives from the association of a yellow belly with timidity, as if fear had drained the color from one's midsection or turned it sickly.
It functions as a mild insult, somewhat dated but still understood: Those yellow bellies ran at the first sign of trouble.
The singular yellow belly and the compound adjective yellow-bellied share this derisive connotation.
- cowardsThose lacking courage
- cravennessContemptible lack of bravery
- timidLacking courage or confidence
- scaredy catsEasily frightened people
- scared stiffImmobilized by extreme fright
spinelessness · fearfulness · panics · jellyfish · frightened · running scared · turned tail · lily-livered · pusillanimity · faint-heartedness · chicken · wimps · babies · gutless · reluctance · lost nerve · faint of heart · meekness
yellow belliesheroes
Admired courageous figures
brave souls · warriors · daredevils · stalwarts · adventurers
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