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
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Recent Examples of chicken
Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 8 June 2026
Speaking of washing, some of the employees didn’t wash their hands before prepping chicken wings for customers or when entering the food-service area before handling clean utensils and preparing food.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 8 June 2026
Some of the new food items include a Korean churro, a cinnamon crunch cheesecake rice crispy cone and a crispy chicken shawarma wrap.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2026
Even the chicken stock is homemade.
—Sarah Kyrcz, Hartford Courant, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for chicken
Noun
Look for mock-meat dishes built around tofu and seitan — including bánh mì chay made with tofu — along with fresh spring rolls and phở chay, typically made with mushrooms in place of beef or chicken.
—Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 8 June 2026
Speaking of washing, some of the employees didn’t wash their hands before prepping chicken wings for customers or when entering the food-service area before handling clean utensils and preparing food.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 8 June 2026
Some of the new food items include a Korean churro, a cinnamon crunch cheesecake rice crispy cone and a crispy chicken shawarma wrap.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2026
Even the chicken stock is homemade.
—Sarah Kyrcz, Hartford Courant, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for chicken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicken
Noun
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Severance star Zach Cherry is Gary, a coward who isn’t sure he can be loved.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
1 June 2026
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And, in a way, this coward is the only sane one.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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This is because, as Superman explains, Kryptonians have enhanced power on Earth because of its yellow sun.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
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The hallway to the field has a blue-and-yellow logo of the United States, which is co-hosting the World Cup with Mexico and Canada.—
Pete Grathoff
June 8,
Kansas City Star,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
The quality adjustment problem does not reside in nominal GDP, which simply asks what was spent, earned, or produced in current dollars, but rather in the deflator applied to convert those nominal figures into real terms.—
James Broughel,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
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In a recent client note, Thomas argued that real interest rates, or the difference between nominal rates and inflation, were much higher under Greenspan and thus more restrictive then, giving the Fed leeway.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
Adjective
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Ridge Vineyards is rooted in tradition but not afraid to change with the times.—
Laura Ness,
Mercury News,
9 June 2026
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The main character, Holly, belongs to a group of people — or perhaps a generation — afraid that life is always happening somewhere else.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
9 June 2026
Adjective
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The 37 mm case, integrated bracelet, and dial are crafted in 18-karat gold, with the eight white-gold screws on the bezel providing only the slightest bit of contrast.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
6 June 2026
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Pivoting effortlessly from family man to ruthless felon, Cranston once again puts his acting range on full display, with a nuanced performance that is underscored by the knowledge that the slightest misstep could cost him — and his family — their lives.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
Is this person happy, sad, scared?—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
8 June 2026
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The clinic struggled to keep staff during the epidemic and the nurse was too scared to run it by herself, Dunn said.—
Imani Cruzen,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
Adjective
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From the train windows, expect to spot the aquamarine waves of Ligurian Sea crashing against the stony coast, candy-colored houses huddled together on the hillsides, tiny wooden boats gliding through village harbors, and flecks of golden-sand beaches.—
Jessica Puckett,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 June 2026
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Tribby, of Miles City, noted that, absent a court ruling that defines the legality of corner crossing in Montana, the PLPW council should consider access corridors rather than single-point access to a tiny corner that might be on a steep sidehill or monumented by a tree.—
Andrew McKean,
Outdoor Life,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
The entries never become frightened.—
Kate Casey,
Vanity Fair,
2 June 2026
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Fireworks set off without authorization in Rome reportedly triggered a mass stampede of frightened horses during a late-night rehearsal for Italy’s annual Republic Day parade, injuring multiple riders and animals.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chicken. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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