chicken

[chik-uhn] / ˈtʃɪk ən /

NOUN

person afraid to try something

Synonyms

STRONG

coward craven dastard funk poltroon quitter recreant

WEAK

scaredy-cat yellowbelly

NOUN

farm fowl

Synonyms

STRONGEST

hen poultry

STRONG

biddy capon chick cock cockerel pullet rooster

WEAK

banty barnyard fowl cock-a-doodle-do cockalorum gump heeler

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 plump, bone-in chicken pieces felt bigger than what I got at my last visit to a Buffalo Wild Wings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

The viral fried chicken at Yankee Stadium is a sellout.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

The original appeal of Cajun chicken pasta is abundance — meat, cream, spice, all competing for dominance.

From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026

Tortillas provide the base for these chicken tacos with pickled cucumbers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

Now I could go home, and maybe Gran had cooked a chicken.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff