cower

American  

[kou-er] / ˈkaʊ ər /

verb (used without object)

1. to crouch, as in fear or shame.

   Synonyms:

   quail, flinch, recoil, cringe

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cower British  

/ ˈkaʊə /

verb

1. (intr) to crouch or cringe, as in fear

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Other Word Forms

• coweringly adverb

Etymology

Origin of cower

1250–1300; Middle English couren; cognate with Norwegian, Swedish kūra, Middle Low German kūren, German kauern

Example Sentences

“Repression is inevitable when demanding justice, so we must not cower at it.”

From Los Angeles Times

Mother stands on the rocky bank, above the stream where the pups cower, eyes wide and tails low, covered in mud.

From Literature

For Ms. Sweeney and Ms. Seyfried it provides an endless variety of opportunities to run through the soap-opera playbook of screaming, cowering, deceiving and attacking depending on the circumstances, which grow increasingly horrifying.

From The Wall Street Journal

Of course, if we had thought about nuclear war every minute of every day, we might indeed have been cowering under our sheets.

From Salon

Should she run, or fight, or cower helplessly in the hope that the wolf would take pity and leave them alone?

From Literature

Related Words

• cringe
• crouch
• flinch
• recoil
• skulk
• tremble
• wince