cowed
Americanadjective
verb
Other Word Forms
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.
Jordan, who escapes relatively unscathed, is at once cowed and traumatized yet committed to vengeance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
But O’Donnell has refused to be cowed by the president’s bullying for nearly 20 years.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
But feminists should not be cowed — and not just because this case, a version of which was already litigated in Carroll’s favor, is likely to crumble in court.
From Salon ● May 29, 2026
Yet even Honor is cowed by the household’s steely Yugoslav maid, Greta, who dismisses all heartbreaks and hysterics with the motto, “play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026
But for the most part, the six hundred plus are pretty cowed.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
