cower

verb

cow·​er ˈkau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce cower (audio)
cowered; cowering; cowers

intransitive verb

: to shrink away or crouch especially for shelter from something that menaces, domineers, or dismays
They all cowered silently in their places, seeming to know in advance that some terrible thing was about to happen.George Orwell
Choose the Right Synonym for cower

fawn, toady, truckle, cringe, cower mean to behave abjectly before a superior.

fawn implies seeking favor by servile flattery or exaggerated attention.

waiters fawning over a celebrity

toady suggests the attempt to ingratiate oneself by an abjectly menial or subservient attitude.

toadying to his boss

truckle implies the subordination of oneself and one's desires or judgment to those of a superior.

truckling to a powerful lobbyist

cringe suggests a bowing or shrinking in fear or servility.

a cringing sycophant

cower suggests a display of abject fear in the company of threatening or domineering people.

cowering before a bully

Examples of cower in a Sentence

They cowered at the sight of the gun. She was cowering in the closet. I cowered behind the door.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Our cities deserve leadership that fights for them in the face of anti-American policies, not one who cowers in the face of right-wing pressure. Melissa Mark-Viverito, New York Daily News, 5 Mar. 2025 Though in just his second year in the league, Barry hardly cowered at the Cow Palace in the face of such famous competition. Daniel Brown, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025 On Deal or No Deal Island, there are two kinds of people: those who want to take fate into their hands and face the banker and those who cower at the thought. Laura Bradley, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2025 Our fresh polling data from approximately 100 college and university presidents in attendance at the Yale Higher Education Leadership Summit last week reveals that higher education leaders are no longer cowering as their schools are wrongly exploited as scapegoats for political grandstanding. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, TIME, 4 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cower

Word History

Etymology

Middle English couren, probably from Middle Low German kūren

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cower was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cower.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cower. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

cower

verb
cow·​er ˈkau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce cower (audio)
: to shrink away or crouch down (as from fear)

More from Merriam-Webster on cower

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