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
Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 15 June 2026
The feathery coating shatters and the chicken beneath drips with juice, tasting like it’s been brined and marinated for hours.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026
With its joyless austerity, the dish bears almost no resemblance to actual chicken paprikás, which is boisterous and dense and, crucially, should involve a considerable portion of hearty starches to sop it all up.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 14 June 2026
Because wine has a different role to play than potatoes, carrots, chickens and eggs.
—Louise Schiavone, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for chicken
Noun
These days, the Yum Brands unit is facing stiff competition, both from upstart chicken chains and legacy giants like McDonald’s that are betting big on the growing global popularity of chicken.
—Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 15 June 2026
The feathery coating shatters and the chicken beneath drips with juice, tasting like it’s been brined and marinated for hours.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026
With its joyless austerity, the dish bears almost no resemblance to actual chicken paprikás, which is boisterous and dense and, crucially, should involve a considerable portion of hearty starches to sop it all up.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 14 June 2026
Because wine has a different role to play than potatoes, carrots, chickens and eggs.
—Louise Schiavone, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for chicken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicken
Noun
-
Fishback showed up at a Donalds campaign event in Lake City on Saturday with a bunch of supporters, shouting through a bullhorn that Donalds was a coward for not debating him and telling him to go back to New York, a reference to Donalds’ childhood in Brooklyn.—
Jeffrey Schweers,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 June 2026
-
Tyland may have gotten Triarchy pirate Admiral Sharako Lohar on Team Green’s side, but at his core this man is a coward.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
Williams, who was sponsored by Puma at the time, wore an interpretation of the shirt at the French Open that year, complete with long, football-style yellow socks.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
On Saturday afternoon, thousands of Brazil fans, clad in highlighter yellow jerseys, made the trek to New York/New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium) to watch their team play Morocco in its first game of this World Cup.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Tyumen refinery, one of the country's most modern and complex, has a nominal capacity of around 8 million metric tons per year.—
Ron Popeski,
USA Today,
20 June 2026
-
Self-park options are available for overnight guests for a nominal fee, and the hotel is dog-friendly (no additional fee).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
There is no reason to be afraid.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
-
One woman intended to use the time to order electrolytes online, another was seeking earring backs, and a third needed to find a male babysitter, as well as a summer swim program, for a four-and-a-half-year-old who is afraid of the water.—
Patricia Marx,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Emmys’ producers passing up on even the slightest possibility of a Werner Herzog acceptance speech is sheer lunacy.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
20 June 2026
-
The team has improved so much that its 1-1 draw against powerhouse Brazil was a slight disappointment.—
David Brandt,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
Children are generally afraid of ghosts, so telling them to be scared of larger bodies is deeply problematic.—
Virgie Tovar,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
-
People seem to still go to the movies for the communal experience of being scared.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
The tiny female hippo is already drawing comparisons to the beloved Moo Deng, the Thai baby pygmy hippo who became a global sensation in 2024.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
18 June 2026
-
Hopefully, this will help determine whether they’re sparked by an eruption from a single neutron star, or when two of these tiny but massive bodies collide.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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Even young raccoons can bite or scratch when frightened, and wild animals can carry parasites and diseases, says Rakestraw.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
20 June 2026
-
When customers are frustrated, frightened, confused or considering leaving, those become high-risk moments.—
Demetri Giannikopoulos,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chicken. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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