gutless wonder
One who lacks guts or courage; a coward.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Don't be a gutless wonder and tell him the truth.”
“Nobody likes a gutless wonder who refuses to stand up for his friends.”
“He promised to support the new policy, but he turned into a gutless wonder when the boss started asking questions.”
“The manager acted like a gutless wonder by sending a group email instead of talking to the employees he planned to fire.”
“You are being a gutless wonder if you stay silent while that bully treats our new coworker so poorly.”
“The politician was branded a gutless wonder after he retreated from his campaign promises the moment he faced public opposition.”
The term originates from the comparison of a coward's figurative lack of courage to the physical absence of internal organs. The conceit suggests that the individual has been disembowelled yet remains inexplicably alive, rendering his bowel-less survival a medical or biological wonder. This ironic observation of a physiological impossibility serves to underscore the perceived depth of the subject's cowardice.
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nine-day wonder
Something that generates interest for a limited time and is then abandoned.
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no-hit wonder
A recording artist who proves to be commercially successful, or maintains a long career, without having any hit songs at all.
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one-hit wonder
A recording artist known for only one hit song, especially after failing at subsequent attempts at success.
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small wonder
An event or fact whose cause or rationale is not difficult to discern; an unsurprising occurrence.
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two-hit wonder
A recording artist known for only two hit songs.
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work wonders
To be highly successful as a solution.
Last updated August 10, 2026