afraid of one's own shadow


Very timid and fearful, as in Richard constantly worries about security; he's afraid of his own shadow. This hyperbole has been used in English since the early 1500s, and some writers believe it originated in ancient Greece.

Words nearby afraid of one's own shadow

afr, afr-, afr., afraes, afraid, afraid of one's own shadow, aframerican, afrasia, afrasian, afreet, afresh