Cower

Pronunciation: /kaʊər/

Definitions of cower

verb to crouch or shrink back in fear or shame

Example Sentences

A1 The small dog would cower in fear during thunderstorms.

A2 She would cower in the corner whenever her boss raised his voice.

B1 The villagers cowered in their homes as the enemy army approached.

B2 The witness cowered in fear as the criminal stared at him menacingly.

C1 Despite the danger, she refused to cower and stood her ground.

C2 The politician tried to cower away from answering the tough questions during the debate.

Examples of cower in a Sentence

formal The villagers would cower in fear whenever the dragon appeared.

informal Don't cower behind me, stand up for yourself!

slang Stop cowering like a scaredy-cat and face your fears.

figurative She refused to cower under the pressure and stood her ground.

Grammatical Forms of cower

• past tense: cowered
• plural: cowers
• comparative: more cowering
• superlative: most cowering
• present tense: cower
• future tense: will cower
• perfect tense: have cowered
• continuous tense: is cowering
• singular: cowers
• positive degree: cower
• infinitive: to cower
• gerund: cowering
• participle: cowered

Origin and Evolution of cower

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Middle English

Story behind the word: The word 'cower' originated from the Middle English word 'cowren' which meant to crouch or cringe in fear.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'cower' has retained its original meaning of crouching or cringing in fear, but has also come to be used more broadly to describe any action of shrinking back or recoiling in fear or timidity.