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
Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 27 Apr. 2025
The tom kha gai soup with a magical mix of coconut milk, lemongrass and lime will set Thai food fan bellies in a good place before diving into entrees like yellow, green and red curries, cashew chicken, pad Thai and roasted duck.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2025
Employees stored raw chicken over huckleberries in a freezer.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 25 Apr. 2025
The crisp finish feature melts pizza toppings and can brown or crisp chicken thighs.
—Terri Williams, Architectural Digest, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chicken
Noun
If the liquid is reducing too quickly, add more chicken stock, 1/2 cup at a time.
—Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 27 Apr. 2025
The tom kha gai soup with a magical mix of coconut milk, lemongrass and lime will set Thai food fan bellies in a good place before diving into entrees like yellow, green and red curries, cashew chicken, pad Thai and roasted duck.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2025
Employees stored raw chicken over huckleberries in a freezer.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 25 Apr. 2025
The crisp finish feature melts pizza toppings and can brown or crisp chicken thighs.
—Terri Williams, Architectural Digest, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chicken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicken
Noun
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There is no way a coward like Musk is in a position to accuse Sen. Kelly of being a traitor.—
DP Opinion,
The Denver Post,
11 Mar. 2025
-
This is a cop novel that fully satisfies its genre expectations — chases, gun battles, sinister bad guys, questionable cops, cowards and heroes.—
Claude Peck,
Boston Herald,
16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The look features bright coral eyeshadow covering the eyelid, a fuchsia shade in the crease, and a swipe of fluorescent yellow eyeliner on the outside half of the eye and right under the brow.—
Andrea Park,
Teen Vogue,
20 July 2017
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Three prominent Austin chefs teamed up with the Youngblood family to build a new restaurant from scratch that looks like a legacy chicken dinner house, down to the bright blue-and-yellow colors and the helpings of hot yeast rolls with honey.—
Bud Kennedy,
star-telegram,
19 July 2017
Adjective
-
As the Signal chats showed, there are differences of opinion within Trump’s national-security team, and much more serious friction with the administration’s nominal allies in Europe.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2025
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The new duties raise the nominal U.S. tariff rate on China to 54%.—
Alain Sherter,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Too often, people are afraid to raise their hands for help.—
Nell Derick Debevoise,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
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Hairston impressed at the combine in Indianapolis by running a 4.28 40-yard dash and has the speed to keep everything in front while not being afraid to get physical.—
Bryce Lazenby,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This lightweight cream truly melts right in without the slightest bit of cast.—
Sarah Han,
Allure,
25 Apr. 2025
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Some are skeptical given his slight wingspan and arm length and wonder if a move to left guard may eventually be necessary.—
Chad Graff,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The Bears should be hoping other teams are scared off by Campbell’s shorter-than-ideal arms.—
Brad Biggs,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Apr. 2025
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But much of the problem then was that Europeans were simply not scared enough to do their part.—
Barry R. Posen,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Sprinkle the tiny seeds about 1 inch apart down the trench and lightly cover with soil.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
22 Apr. 2025
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On the second day of their visit, the couple are due to spend time with the Countryside Rangers from the Mull and Iona Ranger Service (Iona is the tiny neighboring island — which has a population of just 170 people).—
Simon Perry,
People.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
When a deputy arrived, the victim was shaking and frightened, the complaint said.—
Dylan Gentile,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
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The next night, her sister Gwen said Selonia became frightened when a relative who was visiting Selonia spotted Jimmy Ray Barnes near her home.—
Vladimir Duthiers, Paul LaRosa,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chicken. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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