Meaning: To be afraid or be a coward. Used as an adjective or as a noun.

Examples:

Go ahead and order in English! Don’t be a chicken!

They called me a chicken because I didn’t want to ride on the roller coaster.

He wanted to talk to her but he was chicken. He’s a very shy guy.

Pop Quiz:

What’s the opposite of chicken?

A.  Scared

B.  Vegetable

C.  Brave

To see the correct answer, click on “Read more”:

The correct answer is C. To be chicken is to be afraid, so the opposite of course is brave. Now go out and try to use this idiom – don’t be a chicken!