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
Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2025
One fly sat on a speed rack with cooked chicken.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Appetizers include the chicken masakali, mutton pepper roast and garlic paneer.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 7 Nov. 2025
The deals include standard happy hour menu items, such as ham and cheese or chicken croquetas for $2, papas rellenas (potatoes stuffed with either picadillo or cheese) for $3, and ham and cheese, vegetarian or beef empanadas for $4.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chicken
Noun
Overstuffed pouches of chicken in the walk-in refrigerator had been improperly cooled.
—Sacbee.com, 7 Nov. 2025
One fly sat on a speed rack with cooked chicken.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Appetizers include the chicken masakali, mutton pepper roast and garlic paneer.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 7 Nov. 2025
The deals include standard happy hour menu items, such as ham and cheese or chicken croquetas for $2, papas rellenas (potatoes stuffed with either picadillo or cheese) for $3, and ham and cheese, vegetarian or beef empanadas for $4.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chicken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicken
Noun
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Fear of the base, of Trump’s wrath or of primary challenges is now paramount for these cowards.—
Dan Perry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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The crowd applauds for 13 seconds both at the intense, almost Chris Farley–esque yell itself and the absurdity of Maron’s desire to be a manly coward.—
John Roy,
Vulture,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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On the other side of the yellow line, Hamas is digging in, too — regrouping after the war and consolidating control of its part of Gaza.—
Daniel Estrin,
NPR,
7 Nov. 2025
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Oxygen emits either a greenish-yellow light (the most familiar color of the aurora) or a red light; nitrogen generally gives off a blue light.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Austin Public trains those producers, who, for a nominal fee, gain access to state-of-the-art equipment, studio space and content distribution for their own work.—
Matthew Odam,
Austin American Statesman,
29 Dec. 2025
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Academic users will be able to access the platform for a nominal fee, while biotech and pharmaceutical companies are charged an annual subscription, which gives them the right to store their data securely, as well as a relatively low per-use charge.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
18 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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The opposition ranged from clinical and code-based to angry and afraid.—
Mark Dee,
Idaho Statesman,
6 Jan. 2026
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From animal prints to floral patterns and everything in between, don’t be afraid to let loose and have fun with patterns in your space.—
Cori Sears,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The ice punishes the slightest miscalculations, demands the sharpest of focus.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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One report found there may be a slight benefit to moderate drinking, while the other concluded that even one drink a day was linked to a wide range of harms.—
Aria Bendix,
NBC news,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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When one teen is scared or tired of the process, the other girl is there to encourage her.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
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One of the women, one of his first girlfriends, was very scared [to be part of the series].—
Addie Morfoot,
Variety,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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At the previous World Cup in 2022, hosted by tiny Qatar, all of England’s games were in Doha or just outside that city.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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Nanotubes are ultra-small cylindrical structures, so tiny that thousands could fit across the width of a human hair.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Nearly a week later, Scott and Kodi Allred, a couple traveling to visit their son at the University of Northern Colorado, saw the frightened black dachshund darting along the same stretch of road near Elk Mountain.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
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Sometimes, a frightened reaction is inexplicable.—
The Atlantic Culture Desk,
The Atlantic,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chicken. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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