chicken 1 of 2

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

chicken

2 of 2

adjective

Examples Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of chicken
Noun
The menu at 54th Street includes ribs, rattlesnake pasta, filet mignon, salmon, chicken tenders, a Reuben sandwich and more. Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 22 Jan. 2025 These birds can invade commercial buildings that often house caged chickens and endanger operations for free-range chickens. Laurent Belsie, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Jan. 2025 Stop in for a comforting meal of chicken pot pie or beef tips over rice for lunch or dinner and you won’t be disappointed. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2025 Flaming Ox specialties are beef noodle soup, rice bowls and popcorn chicken. Laura Ness, The Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for chicken 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicken
Noun
  • But then Gi-hun could die looking down on him as both a dog and a coward.
    Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 26 Dec. 2024
  • The Vikings are cowards who didn't take a viking ship.
    Nick Suss, The Tennessean, 4 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
  • The object of their largesse was an obscure nonprofit called the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation which, for the better part of two decades, had quietly helped firefighters by raising funds for equipment — often things as nominal as gloves and flashlights — not covered in the city budget.
    David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2025
  • Ever since, however, TCU has started three wings alongside Van Lith and Sedona Prince, once again making the fifth-year senior the nominal point guard.
    Sabreena Merchant, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Democrats and Republicans are afraid that their civil rights and their civil liberties are in jeopardy and look to the courts to protect their 14th and 15th Amendment rights.
    John Yoo and John Shu, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Just look at the Salem Witch Trials, which targeted people who weren’t afraid to live somewhat unconventional lives, like women who were financially-independent or unmarried.
    Roya Backlund, StyleCaster, 24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • That slight warming trend is expected to continue Friday, when high temperatures reach the upper 30s, with lows in the upper teens.
    Matt Hubbard, Baltimore Sun, 19 Jan. 2025
  • The snow started falling Sunday afternoon, with a slight mix of hail.
    Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 19 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Advertisement Thirty years ago, Blake was himself a scared kid.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025
  • Read Next Florida Shelter thought dog was scared — but something else was wrong.
    Simone Jasper, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Those in-the-moment progressions can feel tiny and barely perceptible from one session to the next.
    Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 16 Jan. 2025
  • Despite their immense size, these gentle giants are filter feeders, primarily consuming plankton, small fish, and other tiny organisms by swimming with their mouths open to filter food from the water.
    Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Growers reported a drop in workers showing up to their jobs, and advocacy groups saw a surge of frightened families show up to legal workshops on how to protect themselves against deportation.
    Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2025
  • When Julia arrived with a can of cat food, the first kitten had already been adopted, but the second—a frightened and feisty tabby—was still there.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near chicken

Cite this Entry

“Chicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chicken. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

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