Standard Lemma guide

scaredy-cat

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A coward; a person who is easily frightened or high-strung and easily scared.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: endearing

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fraidy cat, scaredy pants, bottler, caitiff, candy-ass, candy-arse, coistril, coward, chicken, chicken liver, chickenshit, cocktail, cowardy custard, craven, dog, funker, gutless wonder, invertebrate, jessie, lizard, milquetoast, nancy, niddering, nidering, nidget, niding, nithing, piece of crap, piece of shit, pisspants, poltroon, pullet, punk, pussy, pussyhole, quiche-eater, quakebreech, quakebuttock, recreant, scaredy cat, shithouse, sissy, slag, sluggard, snool, sook, weak sister, wheyface, yellow belly, yellow back

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English scared English -y Proto-Germanic *kattuz Proto-West Germanic *kattu Old English catt Middle English cat English cat English scaredy-cat From scared + -y + cat.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: pelkuri — a coward; a person who is easily frightened or high-strung and easily scared
  • German: Angsthase — a coward; a person who is easily frightened or high-strung and easily scared
  • Hungarian: gyáva nyúl — a coward; a person who is easily frightened or high-strung and easily scared
  • Hungarian: gyáva kukac — a coward; a person who is easily frightened or high-strung and easily scared
  • Macedonian: ко́ркач (kórkač) — a coward; a person who is easily frightened or high-strung and easily scared
  • Macedonian: пла́шливец (plášlivec) — a coward; a person who is easily frightened or high-strung and easily scared
  • Macedonian: стра́шливец (strášlivec) — a coward; a person who is easily frightened or high-strung and easily scared
  • Macedonian: др́сло (dŕslo) — a coward; a person who is easily frightened or high-strung and easily scared
  • Māori: toupiore — a coward; a person who is easily frightened or high-strung and easily scared
  • Norwegian: reddhare — a coward; a person who is easily frightened or high-strung and easily scared
  • Spanish: medroso — a coward; a person who is easily frightened or high-strung and easily scared
  • Spanish: miedoso — a coward; a person who is easily frightened or high-strung and easily scared