Chicken — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun adjective verb /ˈchi-kᵊn/ chick·en

Meaning & Definition of Chicken

Chicken (noun)

  1. the common domestic fowl (Gallus gallus) especially when young; also, its flesh used as food
  2. any of various birds or their young
  3. a young woman

Chicken (adjective)

  1. scared
  2. timid, cowardly
  3. insistent on petty details of duty or discipline

Chicken (verb)

  1. to lose one's nerve —usually used with out

Chicken (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. 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"

    similar: coward, craven, cur, dastard, funk, poltroon, recreant, sissy
    related: defeatist, quitter, cream puff, milquetoast, pushover, pussy (slang), weakling, wimp, caitiff, snake, sneak, ostrich, scaramouch
    opposite: hero, stalwart, valiant
    near: daredevil

Chicken (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having or showing a shameful lack of courage

    "too chicken to go through with the stunt"

    similar: chicken-livered, chickenhearted, cowardly, craven, dastardly, gutless, lily-livered, milk-livered (archaic), poltroon, pusillanimous, recreant, spineless, unheroic, yellow
    related: diffident, fainthearted, fearful, timid, timorous, afraid, frightened, scared, careful, cautious, wary, bashful, coy, shy, feeble, soft, unmanly, weak
    opposite: brave, courageous, daring, dauntless, doughty, fearless, gallant, greathearted, gutsy, hardy, heroic, intrepid, lionhearted, stalwart, stout, stouthearted, valiant, valorous
    near: audacious, bold, brazen, cheeky, nervy, plucky, spirited, spunky, determined, resolute

  2. 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"

    similar: de minimis, footling, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, measly, Mickey Mouse, minute, negligible, niggling, no-account, nominal, paltry, peanut, petty, picayune, piddling, piddly, piffling, pimping, slight, trifling, trivial
    related: inferior, mean, imperceptible, inappreciable, little, puny, tiny, hairsplitting, nitpicking, pettifogging, quibbling, one-horse, small-fry, two-bit
    opposite: big, consequential, considerable, important, material, significant
    near: serious, substantial, weighty, eventful, momentous, pivotal, conspicuous, noteworthy, outstanding, prominent, remarkable, striking, appreciable, discernible, measurable

Related Entry: Chicken feed (noun)

Chicken feed is a different word from Chicken. The synonyms below are for chicken feed, not for chicken.

  1. a very small sum of money

    "I'm sick of working for chicken feed—I want a job where I can bring home some real dough"

    similar: chump change, dime, hay, mite, peanuts, pin money, pittance, shoestring, song, two cents
    related: petty cash, pocket money, spending money
    opposite: big buck(s), boodle, bundle, fortune, king's ransom, megabuck(s), mint, wad
    near: bankroll, capital, funds, means, wherewithal, opulence, pelf, riches, treasure, wealth, heap, pile, pot, bonanza, mine, treasure trove, treasury

Related Entry: Chicken Little (noun)

Chicken Little is a different word from Chicken. The synonyms below are for Chicken Little, not for chicken.

  1. one given to forebodings and predictions of impending calamity

    "some called him Chicken Little, but the climatologist had the data to back up his warning on global warming"

    similar: Cassandra, doomsayer, doomsdayer, doomster
    related: defeatist, fatalist, naysayer, negativist, pessimist, handwringer, worrier, worrywart
    opposite: optimist, Pollyanna

Related Entry: Chicken-livered (adjective)

Chicken-livered is a different word from Chicken. The synonyms below are for chicken-livered, not for chicken.

  1. having or showing a shameful lack of courage

    "a chicken-livered newspaper editor who has been afraid to take on the town's powerful business elite"

    similar: chicken, chickenhearted, cowardly, craven, dastardly, gutless, lily-livered, milk-livered (archaic), poltroon, pusillanimous, recreant, spineless, unheroic, yellow
    related: diffident, fainthearted, fearful, timid, timorous, afraid, frightened, scared, careful, cautious, wary, bashful, coy, shy, feeble, soft, unmanly, weak
    opposite: brave, courageous, daring, dauntless, doughty, fearless, gallant, greathearted, gutsy, hardy, heroic, intrepid, lionhearted, stalwart, stout, stouthearted, valiant, valorous
    near: audacious, bold, brazen, cheeky, nervy, plucky, spirited, spunky, determined, resolute

Related Entry: Chicken (out) (verb)

Chicken (out) is a different word from Chicken. The synonyms below are for chicken (out), not for chicken.

  1. as in wimp out

    similar: wimp out, back down, back off, back out, cop out, fink out, renege, backpedal, backtrack, abjure, abnegate, disavow, forswear, recall, recant, repudiate, retract, take back, unsay, withdraw, beg off, cry off (chiefly British)
    opposite: adhere (to), follow through (with), comply (with), fulfill, honor, keep, satisfy

Related Entry: Chicken snake (noun)

Chicken snake is a different word from Chicken. The synonyms below are for chicken snake, not for chicken.

  1. as in garter snake, diamondback rattlesnake

    similar: adder, anaconda, asp, black racer, blacksnake, blue racer, boa, bull snake, bushmaster, cobra, constrictor, copperhead, coral snake, cottonmouth moccasin, diamondback rattlesnake, fer-de-lance, garter snake, gopher snake, green snake, hognose snake, horned viper, indigo snake, king cobra, king snake, krait, mamba, milk snake, moccasin, pine snake, pit viper, puff adder, python, racer, rat snake, rattlesnake, sea serpent, sea snake, sidewinder, taipan, water moccasin, water snake, worm snake, serpent, snake, viper

Related Entry: Chicken snakes (noun)

Chicken snakes is a different word from Chicken. The synonyms below are for chicken snakes, not for chicken.

  1. as in garter snakes, diamondback rattlesnakes

    similar: adders, anacondas, asps, black racers, blacksnakes, blue racers, boas, bull snakes, bushmasters, cobras, constrictors, copperheads, coral snakes, cottonmouth moccasins, diamondback rattlesnakes, fer-de-lance, garter snakes, gopher snakes, green snakes, hognose snakes, horned vipers, indigo snakes, king cobras, king snakes, kraits, mambas, milk snakes, moccasins, pine snakes, pit vipers, puff adders, pythons, racers, rat snakes, rattlesnakes, sea serpents, sea snakes, sidewinders, taipans, water moccasins, water snakes, worm snakes, serpents, snakes, vipers

Related Entry: Chicken Littles (noun)

Chicken Littles is a different word from Chicken. The synonyms below are for Chicken Littles, not for chicken.

  1. one given to forebodings and predictions of impending calamity

    "some called him Chicken Little, but the climatologist had the data to back up his warning on global warming"

    similar: Cassandras, doomsayers, doomsdayers, doomsters
    related: defeatists, fatalists, naysayers, negativists, pessimists, handwringers, worriers, worrywarts
    opposite: optimists, Pollyannas

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Chicken

The most common words with a similar meaning to Chicken:

Archaic: milk-livered
coward, craven, cur, dastard, funk, poltroon, recreant, sissy, chicken-livered, chickenhearted, cowardly, dastardly, gutless, lily-livered, pusillanimous, spineless, unheroic, yellow, de minimis, footling, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, measly, Mickey Mouse, minute, negligible, niggling, no-account, nominal, paltry, peanut, petty, picayune, piddling, piddly, piffling, pimping, slight, trifling

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Chicken

Words with the opposite meaning of Chicken:

hero, stalwart, valiant, brave, courageous, daring, dauntless, doughty, fearless, gallant, greathearted, gutsy, hardy, heroic, intrepid, lionhearted, stout, stouthearted, valorous, big, consequential, considerable, important, material, significant

Related Words for Chicken

defeatist, quitter, cream puff, milquetoast, pushover, pussy, weakling, wimp, caitiff, snake, sneak, ostrich, scaramouch, diffident, fainthearted, fearful, timid, timorous, afraid, frightened, scared, careful, cautious, wary, bashful, coy, shy, feeble, soft, unmanly

Near Antonyms of Chicken

daredevil, audacious, bold, brazen, cheeky, nervy, plucky, spirited, spunky, determined, resolute, serious, substantial, weighty, eventful, momentous, pivotal, conspicuous, noteworthy, outstanding, prominent, remarkable, striking, appreciable, discernible, measurable

Word Forms of Chicken

Inflections: chickens, chickened, chickening

Origin & Etymology of Chicken

Middle English chiken, from Old English cicen young chicken; akin to Old English cocc cock

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Chicken

Words & Phrases Containing Chicken

chicken-and-egg, chicken colonel, chicken coop, chicken feed, chicken-fried steak, chicken hawk, Chicken Little

Frequently Asked Questions about Chicken

What does "Chicken" mean?

"Chicken" means the common domestic fowl (Gallus gallus) especially when young; also, its flesh used as food. As an a noun, an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: the common domestic fowl (Gallus gallus) especially when young; also, its flesh used as food. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Chicken"?

Other words for "Chicken" include coward, craven, cur, dastard, funk, poltroon, recreant and sissy. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Chicken" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Chicken"?

There are 87 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Chicken". Common alternatives include coward, craven, cur, dastard, funk, poltroon, recreant, sissy, chicken-livered and chickenhearted.

What is the opposite of "Chicken"?

Antonyms of "Chicken" include hero, stalwart, valiant, brave, courageous, daring, dauntless and doughty. Near antonyms include daredevil, audacious, bold and brazen.

How do you use "Chicken" in a sentence?

Examples of "Chicken" in a sentence: "a staunch hawk during the drumbeat for war, he proved to be a chicken when it came to actually fighting it"; "too chicken to go through with the stunt"; "just concentrate on the important duties of the job and forget about the chicken stuff".

Is "Chicken" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Chicken" can be used as a noun, an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Chicken" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Chicken" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Chicken"?

"Chicken" is pronounced /ˈchi-kᵊn/ and divided into syllables as chick·en.