chicken 1 of 2

noun

ˈchi-kᵊn How to pronounce chicken (audio)
Definition of chickennext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

chicken

2 of 2

adjective

1
as in yellow
having or showing a shameful lack of courage too chicken to go through with the stunt

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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

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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
Noun
Cook, partially covered, for 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through to 165°F. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026 The menu will also feature two dishes which will rotate weekly, such as pasta Puttanesca and chicken piccata with mashed potatoes. — Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026 Large outbreaks force farms to cull their flocks to prevent the spread of the disease, diminishing the domestic supply of chickens and raising prices. — Joe Hernandez, NPR, 20 Oct. 2026 Knitted emotional support chickens cbs la What was once 30,000 patterns sold has now tripled, selling in 76 countries. — Joy Benedict, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for chicken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicken
  1. coward
  2. yellow
  3. nominal
  4. afraid
  5. slight
  6. scared
  7. tiny
  8. frightened
Noun
  • Some called them cowards; others opted for more colorful language.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2026
  • There are always vultures circling, and always cowards caving.
    — Matt Calkins OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of coward
Adjective
  • In true dump cake style, add all ingredients to create a pumpkin filling and top with boxed yellow cake mix and butter to create a warm, satisfying dessert that’s perfect for holidays and weeknights.
    — Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The debris tossed into the pool cooled the water temperature and allowed orange and yellow-colored bacteria to grow, altering the spring's clear blue appearance.
    — Sadie Chafe, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of yellow
Adjective
  • If interest expense exceeds nominal GDP growth, a debt spiral could occur.
    — Justin Zacks, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Municipal compost operations tend only to accept leaves generated by that town and may also provide small quantities of finished compost to residents for free or at a nominal charge, according to DEEP.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of nominal
Adjective
  • Once again, Slow Horses isn’t afraid to acknowledge its heroes are in a terrible situation and will pay the price for it.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Fond of travel but afraid to fly, Pan would take longish vacations in the Mediterranean, the Middle East, or Mexico, sometimes accompanied by his nieces.
    — David Hajdu, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of afraid
Adjective
  • The Weather Prediction Center has already placed most of South Florida under a Level 2 risk of excessive heavy rainfall with a slight risk of flash flooding on Sunday.
    — Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Yet Georgia coach Kirby Smart wasn’t surprised in the slightest to see Puglisi step in and execute the offense.
    — Connor Riley, AJC.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of slight
Adjective
  • The Democratic nominee against Knott hopes for an upset in a year when even Republican members in safe seats like the 13th District are running scared.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Everyone is scared to testify against Szabo, so his legal case is dismissed.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of scared
Adjective
  • But SpaceX would just go from EPS that’s a minuscule negative to a tiny positive.
    — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • This tiny wearable device could record thousands of individual neurons simultaneously as animals swim, play, explore, and interact naturally.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of tiny
Adjective
  • Discovering that your identity has been stolen can leave you feeling angry, frightened and unsure where to begin.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In one video, a young orangutan can be seen crouching in the corner of a small, dark crate, its frightened eyes wide open.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of frightened

Phrases Containing chicken

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chick
chicken
chickened (out)
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Cite this Entry

“Chicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chicken. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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