cower

verb

cow·​er ˈkau̇(-ə)r 

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

Synonyms

• cringe
• grovel
• quail

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

Hence the obtuse rabbis, the cowering Uncle Yasha, and, in Aliyah of the 1990s, the naked Russian woman, presumably a prostitute, presenting herself doggy-style. —Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 5 Oct. 2024

But none, residents say, like the spasm of hatred on Sunday when rioters set fire to the building as more than 200 people cowered inside. —Christian Edwards, CNN, 6 Aug. 2024

The struggle is made all the more horrifying by the presence of Colonel Timothy Upham (Jeremy Davies), who cowers nearby, afraid and unwilling to save his comrade’s life. —Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2024

In 2024, by contrast, large swaths of Americans are no longer cowering in their homes, fearful that a trip to the polls could infect them with Covid-19. —Ian Millhiser, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018

Word History

Etymology

Middle English couren, probably from Middle Low German kūren

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

cower

verb

cow·​er ˈkau̇(-ə)r 

: to shrink away or crouch down (as from fear)