chicken 1 of 2

as in coward
a person who shows a shameful lack of courage in the face of danger a staunch hawk during the drumbeat for war, he proved to be a chicken when it came to actually fighting it

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

chicken

2 of 2

adjective

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of chicken
Noun
Other sandwiches — on handmade artisan fresh baked breads — include the Reuben, Caprese, and Nashville hot chicken. George A. Paul, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025 The actor didn't expect a raw chicken to be a part of the mezcal recipe while exploring Mexico. Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025 Raw chicken was stored above cheese and raw beef inside the walk-in refrigerator. Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2025 Four chicken taquitos in a cup, layered with cabbage, sour cream, guac, salsa verde and pico de gallo. Endia Fontanez, AZCentral.com, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for chicken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicken
Noun
  • We are told that politics is for cowards, literary analysis is for women, education is a system of liberal indoctrination, brave individuals must resist the herd.
    Robert Rubsam, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Punk then made his entrance to confront Lynch, calling Rollins a coward for hiding behind his wife.
    Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • An online form to request City Hall light displays lists red, blue, orange, purple, yellow, white and green as options.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
  • In our part of the world, lichens are commonly seen in orange, blue-green, yellow, or white and may be seen growing on the trunks of certain trees, especially oaks.
    Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The courts are open to JCCOC members, though guests can accompany for a nominal fee and decide whether to join.
    Greg Mellen, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
  • This means the average real rate (nominal yield minus the inflation rate) is about 1%.
    Chris Gunster, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Tempo, tempo, tempo Nix seems afraid to throw an interception.
    Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 23 Sep. 2025
  • Investors are both bullish on equities as well as being afraid that there are major downside risks, Deutsche’s Henry Allen said in a note to clients reviewed by Fortune.
    Jim Edwards, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The slight ruffle at the hem adds a romantic detail, and the elbow-length sleeves will give you a bit of warmth during chilly fall evenings.
    Shea Simmons, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025
  • When not in the heavy stage makeup that blurs the lines between Kikuo and Shunsuke, there is a slight coldness to his affect, especially compared to Yokohama’s more extroverted performance, which constantly calls into question the sincerity of his sentiments.
    Ryan Swen, Variety, 23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • But other times, a lot of the expressions that people interpret in the film as scared and alarmed or vexed by the invisible forces are the results of things on set that are just bizarre and kind of hilarious.
    Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Sep. 2025
  • We should be prepared for them, but not to be scared of them.
    Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The pleasures of chewy textures are on better display in a shallow bowl of trofie, teeny-tiny handmade pasta twists cooked to a lovely springiness.
    Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2025
  • This archipelago, with one main island and hundreds of tiny islands, is reachable via a multi-hour ferry ride or seaplane from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and northern Minnesota.
    Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The frightened campers are supposed to deliver the scares — but that only works as a set-up if the villain is lurking behind the next tree.
    Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Republicans are frightened, too.
    Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Chicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chicken. Accessed 28 Sep. 2025.

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