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
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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
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Recent Examples of chicken
Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 25 Jan. 2026
Scatter the spinach over the sauce, then arrange the frozen chicken dumplings on top.
—Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 25 Jan. 2026
Free-roaming chickens perch in trees and loiter on patios.
—Hannah Agran, Midwest Living, 22 Jan. 2026
Chicken and Dumplings Soup combines savory chicken broth, green onions, crushed red pepper, green peas, soy sauce, and wontons to create a mouthwatering soup that works well as a side dish or a main course.
—Holly Riordan, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chicken
Noun
Bread chicken cutlets, give them a quick fry, then slide them into a baking dish.
—Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 25 Jan. 2026
Scatter the spinach over the sauce, then arrange the frozen chicken dumplings on top.
—Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 25 Jan. 2026
Free-roaming chickens perch in trees and loiter on patios.
—Hannah Agran, Midwest Living, 22 Jan. 2026
Chicken and Dumplings Soup combines savory chicken broth, green onions, crushed red pepper, green peas, soy sauce, and wontons to create a mouthwatering soup that works well as a side dish or a main course.
—Holly Riordan, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chicken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicken
Noun
-
Please do not take the coward’s way.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
-
And Trump calls ’em almost like cowards.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
His mother, Ellen, wearing a gold top and black blazer, beamed with pride, holding a yellow napkin to dry her tears.—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Skin color was not black, observed Roggeveen, but pale yellow or sallow.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Fines can range from a nominal fee to a hefty chunk of change.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Trump said on Thursday that the rate should be two to three percentage points lower—such low nominal rates have historically tended to accompany periods of weak or slowing economic activity.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Hundreds of volunteers have packed and delivered grocery boxes to families too afraid to leave their homes.—
Dev Patnaik,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
People are so afraid to go out and participate in public life regardless of their citizenship status.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But because this all unfolded early on a Saturday morning, and oil-futures trading doesn’t open until Sunday evening, investors had a slight buffer.—
Will Gottsegen,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
-
With an emphasis on energy management thanks to the uptick in electrical power, the introduction of active aerodynamics and a slight reduction in the size and weight of the cars, the drivers have found the new challenge refreshing.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Children are particularly vulnerable due to their smaller size and natural reaction when scared.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Children of color are scared to be out on the streets and in their cars.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Family says county 'stole' family home over tiny tax, taking fight to Supreme Court.—
,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
However, heat can cause iodide to be lost from the surface, leaving behind tiny holes.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The student’s grandmother, who also lived in the home and was caring for the infant, was too frightened to pick up the older child at school, so officials scrambled to find the child’s uncle.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
31 Jan. 2026
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Firefighters immediately arrived at the scene and pulled frightened residents from windows, stairwells, and elevator shafts as the building erupted into flames.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chicken. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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