chicken 1 of 2

noun

ˈchi-kᵊn How to pronounce chicken (audio)
Definition of chickennext
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

1
as in yellow
having or showing a shameful lack of courage too chicken to go through with the stunt

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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

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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
Noun
Adobos, whether with three chiles or the lone suave guajillo chile, become life-giving purees for marinated fish, chicken and beef shank. — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 25 Aug. 2026 Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour until well coated on both sides, shaking off any excess. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026 Raw chicken was stored in a non-food grade plastic bag and was making direct contact with the bag. — Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026 First, Burger King improved its Whopper, now the fast-food chain is upgrading its chicken nuggets. — Mike Snider, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for chicken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicken
  1. coward
  2. yellow
  3. nominal
  4. afraid
  5. slight
  6. scared
  7. tiny
  8. frightened
Noun
  • But Coyote has hitched his hopes for the mammoth case upon a man who could only be called a coward.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The pundits feasted on her neutrality, most venomously Megyn Kelly, who called her a coward.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of coward
Adjective
  • Jasper, and a yellow Cessna plane Hig’s been tuning up, with ambitions to fly straight into the Telluride mountains and kill himself — because, who cares, your life is over anyway.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026
  • In the kitchen, bright yellow tiles; and in the lounge, a large print Old fell in love with 10 years prior.
    — Ella Field, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of yellow
Adjective
  • This decision risks a reduction in the price dairy farmers receive for their cull cows and higher profits for foreign beef exporters, all for a potentially nominal decrease in the retail ground beef price.
    — Esme Murphy, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Recent August polling shows the Texas Senate race is a statistical tie, with Talarico holding a slight nominal lead.
    — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of nominal
Adjective
  • The most impressive trick Paranormal Activity pulls off is making an entire theater — devotees and newcomers alike — afraid to look away, and giving them one hell of a good time while doing it.
    — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • What’s left is a vaguely political YouTube series afraid of its own tail, incapable of being actually relatable and too cowardly to own the batshit truths of these people’s lives.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of afraid
Adjective
  • The delicate shape still nods to classic ballet flats, but the slight heel gives everything a little more polish, making the pairing feel less Sunday lunch with your nan and more Copenhagen Fashion Week.
    — Georgia Brown, Glamour, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Early pothole testing actually caused a slight structural bend in a rear swingarm.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of slight
Adjective
  • Punk exploded in front of a handful of scared-to-death dirtsheet reporters who were out of their league, mimicking a helpless Tony Khan.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • She gets caught up in a custody battle over her son, Albee, who is autistic and obsessed with the ocean but scared of swimming.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of scared
Adjective
  • The Moon’s awkward angle to Venus this morning may bring tiny mismatches around timing, mood, or social plans, but nothing needs to become a big deal.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Aug. 2026
  • One such collection of it-narratives survives in the form of the tiny manuscript books authored by children associated with the prominent New England Hale family.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of tiny
Adjective
  • In the second test, 12 dogs were shown happy faces, as well as sad, frightened, and angry ones.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Hilton’s sister, Barbara Giarraffa, frightened fans and TikTok moderators were among those who called authorities.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of frightened

Phrases Containing chicken

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chick
chicken
chickened (out)
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Cite this Entry

“Chicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chicken. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

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