Chicken Little

noun

1. a person who constantly warns that a calamity is imminent; a vociferous pessimist:

   The Chicken Littles are warning that the stock market will collapse.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Chicken Little¹

From a character in nursery tales (also known as Henny Penny, Chicken-Diddle, or Chicken-Licken) who, when struck on the head by an object from above, panics and believes that the sky is falling

Example Sentences

So why the “Chicken Little” song about America’s declining might?

From Seattle Times

"We need to take these glaciers seriously without sounding like Chicken Little," Joughin said in an email.

From Fox News

“We need to take these glaciers seriously without sounding like Chicken Little,” Joughin said in an email.

From Seattle Times

Wheeler counsels: “Clear heads are needed to separate what is only hypothetical possibility based on worst-case assumptions” — the FAA’s Chicken Little scenario — “from what is highly probable based on real-world use.”

From Washington Post

Mr. Levine was viewed by many — even by progressive members of his own party — as a kind of Chicken Little, anticipating and fearing the worst.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• pessimist