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
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Recent Examples of chicken
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2026
Remove the skillet from the oven and carefully flip the chicken skin side up.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
At the event, junior pitmasters compete in several categories, including dessert, beans, chicken, ribs and brisket.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Apr. 2026
And the reality is that this is a high-stakes game of chicken, in which both sides are hoping that the economic pressure will force the other side to blink first.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chicken
Noun
In one of the film’s best sight gags, a chicken shows them the way.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2026
Remove the skillet from the oven and carefully flip the chicken skin side up.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
At the event, junior pitmasters compete in several categories, including dessert, beans, chicken, ribs and brisket.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Apr. 2026
And the reality is that this is a high-stakes game of chicken, in which both sides are hoping that the economic pressure will force the other side to blink first.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chicken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicken
Noun
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According to the referee report, Bright used a racial slur that is slang for punk or coward.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
-
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
Adjective
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Kristen Wile of Unpretentious Palate kindly offered me a bite of her toothsome barbacoa entree, wrapped in a collard leaf and served with mayocoba (a creamy, yellow-green canary bean) and a red and green salsa duo.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
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Another is bright yellow with a smooth, contrasting black hood around its head.—
Sheryl DeVore,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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And, in the end, none of the aforementioned might be available except for Ja Morant, who might be only a nominal upgrade, if that.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
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Companies provide most of the capital; Pegasus contributes a nominal share for compliance reasons and manages the investments.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Umpires, afraid of being overturned, or at least, more aware of the new zone and its limitations, have been calling fewer strikes.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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Almost half are personally afraid of losing their job to AI, ranking it among the most acute individual stressors measured in the survey.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The Knicks are slight favorites to win Game 4, and a win would flip things back around.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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If your car is equipped with front radar or driver‑assist features, dirt on the sensor or slight misalignment from a parking‑lot bump could also be the culprit.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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There were a number of people who were very, very scared.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
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From then on, no more physical abuse occurs in front of the camera, though there is tension in the air during many of Joe's scenes, as Michael is scared of standing up to his dad until the very end.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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What last Friday’s 5-0 win away to Sunderland might have done for Pereira is give him just a tiny bit more freedom; the opportunity to go slightly stronger with his team selections in these two games against Villa, either side of a still-vital trip to Chelsea on Monday.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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The technique used to measure the singularities’ velocity could open the door to studying other tiny, fast phenomena in physics, chemistry and biology—or perhaps to find new ways to encode quantum information in materials, according to the researchers.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Fetch Foster Rescue has taken in animals from households whose homes were completely destroyed, and the organization’s immediate focus is keeping those frightened pets as relaxed as possible while storm cleanup continues across the community.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Apr. 2026
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Witnesses describe the dogs as frightened and wary rather than dangerous — a pair of scared animals looking for food, not a fight.—
Ryan Brennan
April 21,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chicken. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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