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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of chicken
Filip Timotija, The Hill, 21 Dec. 2024
Helene destroyed four of them, along with thousands of chickens.
—Russ Bynum, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2024
Fish, chicken and steak headline the entrées menu ($28 to $58), while RH's sandwich lineup ($22 to $32) lets diners consume their lobster or steak between charred slices of ciabatta.
—Bradley Hohulin, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Dec. 2024
First, the instances of human infection have been sporadic, literally all over the map, and much lower than in cows or chickens.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chicken 
Noun
In late May this year, the virus was detected in a commercial flock of chickens in Sioux County, Iowa.
—Filip Timotija, The Hill, 21 Dec. 2024
Helene destroyed four of them, along with thousands of chickens.
—Russ Bynum, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2024
Fish, chicken and steak headline the entrées menu ($28 to $58), while RH's sandwich lineup ($22 to $32) lets diners consume their lobster or steak between charred slices of ciabatta.
—Bradley Hohulin, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Dec. 2024
First, the instances of human infection have been sporadic, literally all over the map, and much lower than in cows or chickens.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chicken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicken
Noun
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William quickly places Ian under arrest for assaulting an officer, as Rachel calls him a coward.Lincee Ray, EW.com, 14 Dec. 2024
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The Lemon Drop Kid (1951) Bob Hope didn’t so much play characters as variations on the Bob Hope persona, a wisecracking coward with a tendency to get in way over his head then make matters worse for himself.Keith Phipps, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024
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
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The price tag for electronic travel authorizations might be nominal, but the inconvenience of being turned away at the airport—or forced to reschedule an entire trip—could be significant.Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
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And while digital prints are a nominal cost, bringing back a title in 70mm or 35mm means sourcing prints and projectors and sometimes hiring projectionists, putting even greater pressure on marketing to deliver awareness.Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Even in districts that have staff dedicated to teaching Black history, some teachers are afraid of violating state law, according to Brian Knowles, who oversees African American, Holocaust and Latino studies for the Palm Beach County school district.Kate Payne, Los Angeles Times, 25 Dec. 2024
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James Mangold isn’t afraid of being thought of as a journeyman director.Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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In return for agreeing to the club’s request for a three-year extension, Acheampong was given a slight improvement on the financial terms that were proposed initially — although his salary still sits in the club’s wage structure for the older players at academy level.Simon Johnson, The Athletic, 20 Dec. 2024
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Neither party secured a majority in the most recent legislative election, but the KMT, which won a slight edge in seats, has partnered with a smaller party to take control of the legislature.Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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That evening, in the no man’s land, a field strewn with empty water bottles, four Shia families sat on a picnic blanket around a burner attached to a gas tank, looking scared and drinking yerba mate.Eliza Griswold, The New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2024
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Once glued to their hiding spot, a scared cat may not come out when called by its owner.Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The rock, ringed with black and marked by distinctive white veins and dozens of tiny bright spots, was discovered as Perseverance explored a quarter-mile-wide valley called Neretva Vallis.Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024
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In this apartment remodel, Project AZ knocked down a wall that once created a very tiny kitchen.Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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When Martin dies in class after getting frightened in a dream, the sheet is accidentally pulled off of his gurney to reveal his death rictus.Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2024
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His fervor to determine who took the weapon reveals a shockingly monstrous side, turning his wife and children into frightened suspects and leading to a jarring tonal-shift ending that proves to be a cathartic, believable final destination for a film simmering with mistrust and anger.Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near chicken
Cite this Entry
“Chicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chicken. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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