# gutless wonder

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/gutless-wonder
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

One who lacks guts or courage; a coward.

## Examples

- 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.

## Origin

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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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.