Cowed

Pronunciation: /kaʊd/

Definitions of cowed

verb to cause someone to submit to one's wishes through intimidation or fear

Example Sentences

A1 The loud noise cowed the timid puppy.

A2 The boss's stern glare cowed the employees into working harder.

B1 The intimidating presence of the security guard cowed the troublemakers into behaving.

B2 The powerful speech delivered by the politician cowed the opposition into silence.

C1 The ruthless dictator cowed the population into submission through fear and oppression.

C2 The legendary warrior's reputation cowed his enemies before they even faced him in battle.

Examples of cowed in a Sentence

formal The boss's stern demeanor cowed the employees into silence.

informal The intimidating presence of the security guard cowed the troublemakers into behaving.

slang The bully's threats cowed the other kids on the playground.

figurative Despite her fear, she refused to be cowed by the challenges ahead.

Grammatical Forms of cowed

• past tense: cowed
• plural: cows
• comparative: more cowed
• superlative: most cowed
• present tense: cow
• future tense: will cow
• perfect tense: have cowed
• continuous tense: is cowing
• singular: cow
• positive degree: cow
• infinitive: cow
• gerund: cowing
• participle: cowed

Origin and Evolution of cowed

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old Norse

Story behind the word: The word 'cowed' originated from the Old Norse word 'kuga' meaning to oppress or subdue.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'cowed' has evolved to also mean intimidated or frightened, in addition to its original meaning of subduing or oppressing.