Synonyms

cowed

American

[koud] / kaʊd /

adjective

frightened by threats, violence, superior strength or ability, etc.; intimidated or overawed.

No, I’m not worried about going up against the chess champion—what do you take me for, an easily cowed novice?

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of cow.

Other Word Forms

uncowed

adjective

Etymology

Origin of cowed

First recorded in 1740–50; cow ² ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective; cow ² ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Cowed by his own backpack, Alejandro tiptoes through America timidly, afraid to announce himself.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2024

Cowed by their strident staffers, executives at these institutions have allegedly abdicated their leadership responsibilities and have, so to speak, allowed the inmates to run the asylum.

From Slate • Dec. 18, 2022

Cowed by the accusations of bias and privacy, the IRS announced that it will “transition away” from face recognition.

From Washington Post • Feb. 18, 2022

Cowed, the Israeli, French, and British forces retreated.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2020

Cowed by their blows, we ceased and I rose.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023