yellow belly
One lacking courage
Yellow belly is an insult meaning coward—someone who lacks courage or nerve.
The image suggests a person whose fear shows physically, perhaps turning pale or sick with fright.
The adjective yellow-bellied works the same way: That yellow-bellied sheriff won't stand up to anyone.
The term is old-fashioned but still understood.
Person lacking bravery
- cravenContemptibly lacking nerve
- poltroonAbject coward
- dastardContemptible coward
- milksopFeeble, unassertive person
weakling · quitter · wimp · chicken · scaredy-cat · fraidy-cat · sissy · pushover
Lacking bravery or nerve
- spinelessLacking courage or resolve
- chickenDomestic fowl for eating
- wimpTimid, feeble person
- wussTimid, weak person
pansy · coward · craven · lily-livered · namby-pamby · candy-ass · scaredy-cat · fraidy-cat
coward
Person lacking bravery
milksop · weakling · quitter · wimp · chicken · scaredy-cat · fraidy-cat · sissy · pushover · doormat
gutless
Lacking bravery or nerve
wuss · pansy · coward · craven · lily-livered · namby-pamby · candy-ass · scaredy-cat · fraidy-cat · sissy
timid
Lacking courage or confidence
fearful · nervous · anxious · apprehensive · skittish · jumpy · jittery · trepidatious · timorous · diffident
- Color Idiomsblack sheep, blue moon, green light, red flag, white lie
- cowardscoward, chicken, wimp, milquetoast, poltroon
- reptile morphsalbino, hypo, melanistic, normal, pastel
- Old Westcowboy, cowboys, cowgirl, sheriff, sheriffs
- tauntstaunts, taunt, taunting, neener neener, insults
yellow bellyhero
One admired for courage
brave soul · daredevil · lion heart · warrior · risk-taker
yellow, belly, yellows, yellowed, yellowing, yellowish, bellies, bellied