cower
verb (used without object)
to crouch, as in fear or shame.
cowered
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past participleof cower.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof cower.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
cowerverb (used without object)to crouch, as in fear or shame.
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.
More than 30 dogs were crowded together on the stairs, while others climbed on the kitchen sides or cowered in corners.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
He cowered and shook on trips outside the house.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 11, 2023
He briefly cowered, before realizing it was a taped-up black cricket ball that soared up from the ground floor.
From Salon ● Dec. 15, 2022
During Hurricane Charley, he cowered with his landlord’s Rottweiler, Chopper, in the back of a junkyard pickup.
From New York Times ● Sep. 28, 2022
For a moment the sight of it gladdened the hearts of the hobbits; but Gollum cowered down, muttering curses on the White Face.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
