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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in yellow
having or showing a shameful lack of courage
too chicken to go through with the stunt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nominal
so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention
just concentrate on the important duties of the job and forget about the chicken stuff
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Samantha Brash, Travel + Leisure, 24 Aug. 2025
Ground pork or ground chicken would be great alternatives.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2025
Include lean proteins, like chicken, fish, beans, and eggs, as well as healthy fats, including olive oil, avocados, and nuts.
—Health, 23 Aug. 2025
Health experts love savory oats for the chance to load them up with extra protein, like eggs, shredded chicken and tofu.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chicken
Noun
My personal favorite thing, however, was ordering late-night room service—the chicken pot pie was perfection.
—Samantha Brash, Travel + Leisure, 24 Aug. 2025
Ground pork or ground chicken would be great alternatives.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2025
Include lean proteins, like chicken, fish, beans, and eggs, as well as healthy fats, including olive oil, avocados, and nuts.
—Health, 23 Aug. 2025
Health experts love savory oats for the chance to load them up with extra protein, like eggs, shredded chicken and tofu.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chicken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicken
Noun
-
Come back and fight like Texans rather than running and hiding like cowards.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Today’s Republican Party is a bunch of weak, spineless cowards who cower in obedient terror at Trump’s feet.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
The look features bright coral eyeshadow covering the eyelid, a fuchsia shade in the crease, and a swipe of fluorescent yellow eyeliner on the outside half of the eye and right under the brow.—
Andrea Park,
Teen Vogue,
20 July 2017
-
Three prominent Austin chefs teamed up with the Youngblood family to build a new restaurant from scratch that looks like a legacy chicken dinner house, down to the bright blue-and-yellow colors and the helpings of hot yeast rolls with honey.—
Bud Kennedy,
star-telegram,
19 July 2017
Adjective
-
As California has grappled with the ghost student swarms, officials have debated instituting a nominal fee to add friction to the system of applying.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
23 Aug. 2025
-
Private consumption accounted for 61.4% of India's nominal GDP in financial year ending March 2025, according to the finance ministry's monthly report published in June.—
Ayushi Jindal,
CNBC,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Lastly, if the campaign performance isn’t meeting expectations, don’t be afraid to ask for a brainstorming session in person or on video if email communication just isn’t cutting it.—
Nandini Sankara,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Those were people who grew up afraid of anything or anyone different from them.—
Pat Blashill,
Rolling Stone,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
New polling from Data for Progress finds a slight majority of likely voters oppose the president's plan, including 78% of Black Americans.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
23 Aug. 2025
-
On the Forest end, there is a slight sense that some fans almost relish the idea of being disliked.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Things were changing, and people—some people at least—were scared.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Aug. 2025
-
The guys in there aren’t scared of these challenges.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
In the tall-grass prairies that once spread out across pre-settlement Indiana, tiny ground squirrels scurried through the wildflowers, grasses and shrubs.—
Karl Schneider,
IndyStar,
21 Aug. 2025
-
These were tiny towns where restaurants serve breakfast with eggs supplied by on-property chickens and eagles are visible on mosquito-laden trails that railroad cars once trudged.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
School staff gathered the students in the cafeteria during the lockdown and tried to keep the frightened kids calm, said a school employee who refused to give an Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reporter their name.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
20 Aug. 2025
-
Investigators believe other potential victims may be too frightened to report similar attacks.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chicken. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share