lily-livered

lily-livered
American 

[lil-ee-liv-erd]
/ ;l;l i;l;v ;rd /
adjective
weak or lacking in courage; cowardly; pusillanimous.

lily-livered
British 

adjective
cowardly; timid

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Etymology
Origin of lily-livered
First recorded in 1595–1605; lily + liver 1 + -ed 3

Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He won't be so hobbled by his lily-livered inability to give a direct order next time, because, frankly, he won't have to.

From Salon ; Feb. 1, 2022

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If that happens, they can point to their lily-livered observations and say, “See, we knew it all along.”

From Los Angeles Times ; Sep. 28, 2021

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The genre, notorious in the past for its domineering heroes and lily-livered heroines, “really did evolve” over time.

From The Guardian ; Jan. 30, 2020

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The lily-livered had best stay at home, because an evening with Lydia Lunch isn’t a performance; it’s an exorcism.

From New York Times ; Sep. 15, 2016

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“The fire-eater's in love with Resa, I said, he’d devour her with his eyes if he could, but the others wouldn't believe me. All the same—to think of a lily-livered coward like you venturing here!”

From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke


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He won't be so hobbled by his lily-livered inability to give a direct order next time, because, frankly, he won't have to.

From Salon ; Feb. 1, 2022

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If that happens, they can point to their lily-livered observations and say, “See, we knew it all along.”

See, I knew it all along, that TACO -Trump's lily-livered inability to confront his direct his buddy Putin  will prevail ... ”
Winston Churchill