cower
Americanverb (used without object)
verb
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 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
The other cowered in a corner, trying to hide under the sawdust.
From Literature
But the master’s tactics worked perfectly because everyone just got on with their work and kept to themselves, and all our rage and rebellion cowered down inside our heads.
From Literature
“Repression is inevitable when demanding justice, so we must not cower at it.”
From Los Angeles Times
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.
