cower

American

[kou-er] / ˈkaʊ ər /

verb (used without object)

to crouch, as in fear or shame.

Synonyms:

quail, flinch, recoil, cringe

cower British

/ ˈkaʊə /

verb

(intr) to crouch or cringe, as in fear

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

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

The distance between Americans and the people in other countries cowering as death rains down on them from the sky has always been vast both geographically and culturally.

From Salon

Couldn’t do anything but cower with Wolf in the hollow, knowing he was too close to the gap -just two paces away -yet powerless to move.

From Literature

And here all of them were whimpering and cowering, spooked by one doe.

From Literature

The image of a fluffy white dog cowering in a corner tugged on heartstrings across the globe.

From Los Angeles Times

She glanced at Rowan, cowering in the shadows.

From Literature

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