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
Tom Mullen, Forbes.com, 20 July 2025
This ridiculously low price is a zero-commitment way to get crisp fries and chicken.
—Simon Hill, Wired News, 10 July 2025
The Trump administration has sued California over its animal cruelty laws, saying the state's regulation of chicken farms has led to high egg prices across the country.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
Key Facts The Snack Wrap, which features a chicken tender, lettuce, cheese and ranch dressing in a small flour tortilla, returned to McDonald’s franchises nationwide Thursday, nearly a decade after leaving the nationwide menu in 2016.
—Derek Saul, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for chicken
Noun
Brazen acidity, firm structure, semi-complex and a delicious accompaniment to prawns, crackers with hummus, or cacciatore chicken.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes.com, 20 July 2025
This ridiculously low price is a zero-commitment way to get crisp fries and chicken.
—Simon Hill, Wired News, 10 July 2025
The Trump administration has sued California over its animal cruelty laws, saying the state's regulation of chicken farms has led to high egg prices across the country.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
Key Facts The Snack Wrap, which features a chicken tender, lettuce, cheese and ranch dressing in a small flour tortilla, returned to McDonald’s franchises nationwide Thursday, nearly a decade after leaving the nationwide menu in 2016.
—Derek Saul, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for chicken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicken
Noun
-
Today’s Republican Party is a bunch of weak, spineless cowards who cower in obedient terror at Trump’s feet.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
12 July 2025
-
Now, all of these cowards that were too scared to give us a chance [want to work with us] because there’s no risk involved anymore.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
2 July 2025
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
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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
-
Entry is for members only but available for a nominal fee.—
Susan Stapleton,
The Tennessean,
31 July 2025
-
Allensworth said her team performed more than 60 official mission simulations, both with nominal and off-nominal situations to best equip the autonomous lunar lander for unforeseeable circumstances.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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Although Indiana has not experienced an immigration raid at this scale, community leaders shared that many in migrant communities are afraid that they may potentially be picked up off the street and deported, whether rightfully or not.—
Noe Padilla,
IndyStar,
23 July 2025
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If getting this set up on your own sounds daunting, don’t be afraid to ask for help, McCoy says.—
Ryan Ermey,
CNBC,
23 July 2025
Adjective
-
Car buyers are benefiting from a slight downturn in interest rates, too.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
31 July 2025
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Students' reading scores statewide, however, only showed slight drops from 2022 to 2024, but showed a continued lack of recovery from pandemic lows.—
Keri Heath,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Adjective
-
There’s people that are getting into trouble because the powers that be are scared, too.—
Mario Koran,
jsonline.com,
12 July 2025
-
Most notable in the repeat of Man of Steel elements and themes, there’s the Kryptonian message threatening earth, which makes the public scared, so Superman turns himself in to government authorities.—
Mark Hughes,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
One nautical mile west of Santorini, opposite the village of Oia and the caldera, lies the tiny island of Therasia, accessible via boat departing from Ammoudi Bay.—
Monica Mendal,
Vogue,
15 July 2025
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The film community of Vancouver Island is tiny compared to the City of Vancouver’s Hollywood North hub.—
Jennie Punter,
Variety,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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Not surprisingly, the woman being targeted by the scams was extremely frightened.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
30 July 2025
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More than 25,000 onlookers came to see the whale over the next few days, but when a thunderstorm erupted on July 5, the whale became frightened.—
Kaycee Sloan,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chicken. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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