fraidy-cat

[ frey-dee-kat ]

noun

, Informal.

1. a timid, easily frightened person: often used by children.

Word History and Origins

Origin of fraidy-cat¹

1905–10; fraid (aphetic form of afraid ) + -y ¹

Example Sentences

“Big Tony runs off and leaves us locked in here with Prince Pampered Pooch. Duke. The big-shot TV star. Turns out he’s not so brave and courageous. Turns out, he’s a big ol’ fraidy-cat.”

From Literature

Others have called Ms. Ashburn a “sheep” and a “fraidy-cat” for wearing a mask.

From New York Times

They’ve had over a decade to acclimate themselves to that, so it is sad to see the right wing retreat instead to the same old script — especially since it inevitably reveals more about them and their fraidy-cat bigotry than anything else.

From Seattle Times

But return him to the Nantucket seashore where he was born, and the kid becomes a fraidy-cat: Acutely averse to sand, he won’t take a step without laying down his black jacket as a beach-suppressing walkway.

From Washington Post

Two years ago in the N.F.C. title game, Seattle faced fourth-and-7 on the San Francisco 35 and didn’t launch a fraidy-cat punt; rather it went for it, scoring the key touchdown of the contest.

From New York Times

Related Words

• coward
• crybaby
• pushover