yellowbelly
One lacking nerve
A yellowbelly is a coward—someone lacking courage or nerve.
The term draws on the old association of yellow with cowardice: Don't be a yellowbelly; just ask her out.
In some regional uses, yellowbelly refers to various fish or animals with yellow undersides, but the cowardice sense dominates in everyday speech.
Full of fright
- cravenContemptibly lacking nerve
- spinelessLacking courage or resolve
- chickenheartedLacking bravery or nerve
- pusillanimousLacking courage or determination
fainthearted · gutless · timorous · lily-livered · white-livered · poltroon · milksop · wimp
Feeble person
- cowardPerson lacking bravery
- chickenDomestic fowl for eating
- sissyPejorative for effeminate male
- wussTimid, weak person
loser · defeatist · quitter · doormat · pushover · invertebrate · jellyfish · pantywaist
Resting spot for birds
- sunfishCentrarchid freshwater swimmer
- bassDeep pitch or fish
- freshwaterNon-saline aquatic environment
- anglerOne who casts lines
pond · lake · river · stream · fins · scales · gills · habitat
Having irregular color patches
- crypticObscure in meaning
- concealmentAct of hiding something
- blendCombine into mixture
- adaptiveAble to change accordingly
coloration · underside · countershading · markings · plumage · protective · warning · pattern
fearful
Full of fright
- cravenContemptibly lacking nerve
- spinelessLacking courage or resolve
- chickenheartedLacking bravery or nerve
pusillanimous · fainthearted · gutless · timorous · lily-livered · white-livered · poltroon · milksop · wimp · coward
weakling
Feeble person
wuss · loser · defeatist · quitter · doormat · pushover · invertebrate · jellyfish · pantywaist · candy-ass
perch
Resting spot for birds
- sunfishCentrarchid freshwater swimmer
- bassDeep pitch or fish
- freshwaterNon-saline aquatic environment
angler · pond · lake · river · stream · fins · scales · gills · habitat · ichthyology
mottled
Having irregular color patches
- crypticObscure in meaning
- concealmentAct of hiding something
- blendCombine into mixture
adaptive · coloration · underside · countershading · markings · plumage · protective · warning · pattern · ventral
- cowardicecoward, cowardly, craven, gutless, spineless
- Northern Slangaye, nowt, summat, lass, luv
- reptile morphsalbino, hypo, melanistic, normal, pastel
- compoundscompound word, compound sentence, compound noun, compound interest, compound fracture
yellowbellyhero
One admired for courage
brave soul · daredevil · lion · lion-hearted · stouthearted
yellow, belly, yellowish, yellowed, yellows, yellowing, yellowness, yellow-bellied, Yellowstone