cower

verb cow·er \ ˈkau̇(-ə)r \

|Updated on: 13 Jun 2018

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Examples: cower in a Sentence

Definition of cower

cowered; cowering; cowers

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

Characters cower behind large objects and peek around corners, hoping not to catch a glimpse of certain death bearing down on them.

— todd vanderwerff, Vox, "5 things to know about Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom," 5 June 2018
The thought of the amount of stuff needed to travel across state lines for a visit to grandma or a vacation is enough to make the average parent cower in fear — or just give up the idea of travel completely until the kids are grown up.

— amy schwabe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Baby equipment rental company makes travel easier for Milwaukee families," 17 May 2018
Shoppers were surprised to see a young gator cowering in the corner of the parking lot, in a store located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.

— madeleine marr, miamiherald, "An alligator showed up at a Florida Target, and drew a bigger crowd than the bargains | Miami Herald," 30 Apr. 2018
Kids find sad things hilarious (laughing when Charlotte dies after spinning another web) and humor to be frightening (cowering at Seuss’s hectoring goldfish).

— rumaan alam, The Cut, "The Singular Magic of Maira Kalman," 30 Apr. 2018
But Nordstrom has a long tradition of embracing technology rather than cowering before it.

— phil wahba, Fortune, "Why Nordstrom Is Betting on High-Touch Tech," 25 May 2018
The bodies appeared to be frozen in time, still cowering fearfully as the volcanic rocks and suffocating ash enveloped their homes and streets.

— meagan flynn, BostonGlobe.com, "An ancient horse was found in Pompeii’s ashes, as well as a street of grand houses," 18 May 2018
To liken patients to cowering toadies is to patronize them.

— kevin canfield, San Francisco Chronicle, "‘Natural Causes,’ by Barbara Ehrenreich," 3 May 2018
While other politicians cower at the thought, Suarez is holding neighborhood town halls.

— fabiola santiago, miamiherald, "Miami’s charismatic new mayor wants more power. But is that a good thing? | Miami Herald," 3 May 2018

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

in the meaning defined above

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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.