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
Virginia Willis, AJC.com, 11 Jan. 2026
The black bean chicken, with green beans and mushrooms, is a favorite.
—Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026
Containing many of the classic chicken pot pie flavors, this soup comes together seamlessly by tossing all the ingredients in a Dutch oven.
—Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2026
Homemade soup offers the most control over ingredients and portion size, and often includes more vegetables and larger pieces of chicken.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chicken
Noun
Add the beans, thyme and chicken stock; stir to combine.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicken
Noun
-
Fear of the base, of Trump’s wrath or of primary challenges is now paramount for these cowards.—
-
The crowd applauds for 13 seconds both at the intense, almost Chris Farley–esque yell itself and the absurdity of Maron’s desire to be a manly coward.—
Adjective
-
Yiyoguaje sported a spectacular headdress of layered feathers that cascaded down his back, blue and pink, green and yellow, topped by three long macaw feathers standing up like spears.—
-
While many greens can skew yellow or murky, its blue base keeps the color clean and sophisticated.—
Adjective
-
Austin Public trains those producers, who, for a nominal fee, gain access to state-of-the-art equipment, studio space and content distribution for their own work.—
-
Academic users will be able to access the platform for a nominal fee, while biotech and pharmaceutical companies are charged an annual subscription, which gives them the right to store their data securely, as well as a relatively low per-use charge.—
Adjective
-
The opposition ranged from clinical and code-based to angry and afraid.—
-
From animal prints to floral patterns and everything in between, don’t be afraid to let loose and have fun with patterns in your space.—
Adjective
-
The ice punishes the slightest miscalculations, demands the sharpest of focus.—
-
One report found there may be a slight benefit to moderate drinking, while the other concluded that even one drink a day was linked to a wide range of harms.—
Adjective
-
The birds were scared away by a resident’s dog.—
-
As Hodges stood there, scared and vulnerable, the man grabbed his baton and bashed him on the head with it, rupturing his lip and smashing his skull.—
Adjective
-
At the previous World Cup in 2022, hosted by tiny Qatar, all of England’s games were in Doha or just outside that city.—
-
Nanotubes are ultra-small cylindrical structures, so tiny that thousands could fit across the width of a human hair.—
Adjective
-
Nearly a week later, Scott and Kodi Allred, a couple traveling to visit their son at the University of Northern Colorado, saw the frightened black dachshund darting along the same stretch of road near Elk Mountain.—
-
Sometimes, a frightened reaction is inexplicable.—
Cite this Entry
“Chicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chicken. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share