cower

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verb cow·er \ ˈkau̇(-ə)r \

Definition of cower

intransitive verb

:to shrink away or crouch especially for shelter from something that menaces, domineers, or dismays

They all cowered silently in their places, seeming to know in advance that some terrible thing was about to happen.
—George Orwell

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Examples of cower in a Sentence

They cowered at the sight of the gun.
She was cowering in the closet.
I cowered behind the door.

Recent Examples of cower from the Web

CEOs who expect the employees to be cowering, to use a memorable phrase, shouldn’t be afraid of Donald Trump’s tantrums.

— jon talton, The Seattle Times, "How Charlottesville and Trump reveal CEO character," 15 Aug. 2017
Innocent vanilla ice cream, cowering in a cup, is doused with scalding espresso.

— leah eskin, idahostatesman, "Coffee custard transforms plain ice cream into sundae with a kick," 8 Aug. 2017
With a gun pointed in his face, a Chevron gas station clerk cowers as a masked robber grabs a cash register drawer in a pre-dawn holdup in Dania Beach.

— linda trischitta, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Armed robber terrorizes Dania Beach gas station clerk," 4 Aug. 2017
Most players would cower and shrink away from the limelight after such an event, but the former Southampton man used it to his advantage, motivating himself to be better.

— SI.com, "South London & Proud: Why Local Boys Jason Puncheon and Wilfried Zaha Are Key to the Eagles' Heart," 28 July 2017
Money: My taste buds were cowering at the mere mention of ghost peppers, but the first bite of this burger was a sweet relief.

— hannah fry, Daily Pilot, "Culinary delicacies delight at Orange County Fair," 14 July 2017
On Monday, hundreds of civilians, who officials surmised were mostly the families of Islamic State fighters, cowered with the fierce fighting happening only yards away.

— nabih bulos, latimes.com, "Iraqi forces and rescue crews in Mosul look to save civilians and pull bodies from the rubble," 10 July 2017
They aren’t taught to cower to the police or to be afraid of the police.

— Longreads, "An Unforgiving Legal System Welcomes Black Immigrants to America," 10 July 2017
Traffic police who once cowered at home for fear of assassination are stationed once again at intersections, wearing their summer white uniforms.

— frederic wehrey, The Atlantic, "'Whoever Controls Benghazi Controls Libya'," 1 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cower.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of cower

Middle English couren, probably from Middle Low German kūren

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First Known Use: 14th century

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cower Synonyms

Synonyms

cringe, grovel, quail

Related Words

flinch, recoil, shrink, squinch; blanch, blench, whiten; fawn, kowtow, toady

Synonym Discussion of cower

fawn, toady, truckle, cringe, cower mean to behave abjectly before a superior. fawn implies seeking favor by servile flattery or exaggerated attention.