as in coward
a person who shows a shameful lack of courage in the face of danger a staunch hawk during the drumbeat for war, he proved to be a chicken when it came to actually fighting it
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1
as in yellow
having or showing a shameful lack of courage too chicken to go through with the stunt
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2
as in nominal
so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention just concentrate on the important duties of the job and forget about the chicken stuff
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of chicken
Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 20 Apr. 2026 On that mild Wednesday in late March, House of Hope provided chicken, eggs, bread, potatoes, fresh fruit and vegetables, and milk. —Taylor Sisk, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026 Sweet peas are paired with baby beets, new potatoes, and sweet potatoes for a springy combination that pairs well with simple proteins like roast chicken, fish, or steak. —Lizzy Briskin, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Apr. 2026 His go-to: tandoori chicken, garlic naan, one mango lassi, and two cups of creamy chai. —David Williams, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for chicken
Noun
Then there’s obviously the hair and the very stoic pose, and then there’s the chicken. —Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 20 Apr. 2026 On that mild Wednesday in late March, House of Hope provided chicken, eggs, bread, potatoes, fresh fruit and vegetables, and milk. —Taylor Sisk, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026 Sweet peas are paired with baby beets, new potatoes, and sweet potatoes for a springy combination that pairs well with simple proteins like roast chicken, fish, or steak. —Lizzy Briskin, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Apr. 2026 His go-to: tandoori chicken, garlic naan, one mango lassi, and two cups of creamy chai. —David Williams, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for chicken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chicken
Noun
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Time constraints once again strike here, but there’s also the fact that the movie drops the plot’s true twist — that Grace is a coward — only a few minutes before.— Matthew Razak, Space.com, 23 Mar. 2026
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John Cornyn is a coward who has refused to support abolishing the filibuster to pass this bill.— Jack Fink, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In perhaps one of their most public twinning moments, the mom and daughter don yellow coats and complementary hats at Epsom Downs Racecourse.— Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
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The blue band represents the predictions from a dark matter-and-dark energy dominated Universe that follows the rules of Einstein’s general relativity, while the yellow band represents the predictions from a dark matter-free Universe that follows the rules of MOND.— Big Think, Big Think, 21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The bulls claim that trend justifies today’s valuations, and that EPS can keep rolling in double-digits while national income trudges at a nominal 5% or so.— Shawn Tully, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2026
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Funds routed through weakly regulated financial centers, often under nominal compliance regimes, help seed narratives designed to divide Western societies and undermine political cohesion.— Gaurav Srivastava, The Washington Examiner, 19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Maybe a lot of producers are Melissas, afraid of the present, looking toward a past that never really existed.— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2026
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Miami is exceptionally good at finding role players , so don’t be afraid to trade a Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr, etc.— Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Meanwhile, walnuts lend a slight crunch throughout.— Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2026
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Cloud cover is forecasted to stick around all day, and temperatures are likely to top out in the low 80s this afternoon with a slight breeze from the south.— Lauren Bostwick, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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So Tristian stood, waiting for his moment, preparing himself to do what everyone else was too scared to do.— Empress Rasheem, Baltimore Sun, 19 Apr. 2026
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People are scared, at the bottom line.— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Republicans have a tiny four-vote majority in the chamber, and the president’s party historically struggles in midterm balloting.— Editorial, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
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Lunch is served here too, but during the day most guests prefer to head over to the family’s beach club, Bagno Assunta, which serves classic Italian summer fare, like a solid insalata caprese and spaghetti alle arselle (tiny local clams).— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Soapy Water Stink bugs tend to drop when frightened, so fill a cup with soapy water and hold it under the stink bug.— Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2026
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Their height and heft frightened and thrilled spectators, earning dinosaurs a permanent place in the public imagination, Coules said.— Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/chicken. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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