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
Relevance
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
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
Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2026
Acquiring human capital for a new enterprise is time-consuming and faces the chicken-egg dilemma.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026
Marinated chicken and homemade meatballs are also served up on different days alongside an array of vegetables all cooked in olive oil.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Gluten-free mac and cheese and chicken enchiladas are menu favorites, the brand said.
—Jenna Thompson
march 28, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chicken
Noun
The festival food court will have offerings including sushi, gyoza, mochi, teriyaki chicken bowls, bento boxes and shave ice, with iced coffee, boba drinks, beer, sake, plum wine, sodas and lemonade to wash it all down.
—Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2026
Acquiring human capital for a new enterprise is time-consuming and faces the chicken-egg dilemma.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026
Marinated chicken and homemade meatballs are also served up on different days alongside an array of vegetables all cooked in olive oil.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Gluten-free mac and cheese and chicken enchiladas are menu favorites, the brand said.
—Jenna Thompson
march 28, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chicken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicken
Noun
-
Time constraints once again strike here, but there’s also the fact that the movie drops the plot’s true twist — that Grace is a coward — only a few minutes before.—
Matthew Razak,
Space.com,
23 Mar. 2026
-
John Cornyn is a coward who has refused to support abolishing the filibuster to pass this bill.—
Jack Fink,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The remnants of Monday’s blaze sat largely untouched Tuesday afternoon, blocked off by a chain link fence and yellow caution tape.—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
-
That creativity led Cochran to work with scallops in the challenge, making a duo of green and yellow sauces with broccoli and chlorophyll, daikon and a carrot and saffron broth.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The lawsuit alleges Freeman Funeral Home accepted the baby’s remains for a nominal $500 fee but never followed through on its promise to provide him with a proper Christian burial.—
Rafael Olmeda,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The cast of Netflix’s YA comedy XO, Kitty also tried renegotiating after Season 2 but received nominal bonuses instead, sources said.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Neither is too afraid of what the USMNT has in store for them, either.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Fairey was forthcoming about his opinions on art, politics and technology, drawing applause at one point for saying that using AI in art is not something to be afraid of.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
UConn came into the game as a slight underdog despite having beaten the Illini by 13 points at Madison Square Garden back in November.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Black One and Monoliths & Dimensions maintain a slight distance from the listener with a layer of reverb that softens the bone-crushing power of the guitars.—
Daniel Bromfield,
Pitchfork,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Employees felt unsafe coming to work; customers were scared to leave their homes.—
David Farley,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Hearts have melted online after a scared rescue dog bravely faced her fear in order to join her owner, with many viewers praising her unquestionable courage and determination.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Its tulle is brittle and sharp, brushing against my fur like a thousand tiny teeth, a cruel lover that bites with every move.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The astronauts' cells have been placed on tiny chips and distributed throughout the capsule in an effort to understand these effects in greater detail.—
Brendan Byrne,
NPR,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Chesney became frightened, scaled the enclosure wall and hopped over the fence.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The team caught up with Chesney on Wednesday and again Thursday night, but Johnson said the frightened kangaroo slipped away — once by jumping into a cold river — and Johnson lost track on the drone.—
John O'Connor,
Fortune,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chicken. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
