cower
To crouch down and shrink back in fear.
cower in a sentence
- The puppy cowered behind the sofa at the first rumble of thunder.
- In the story, the grumpy giant made the villagers cower, crouching low behind their doors.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to cower?
- Acringe
- Bface
- Cstand
- Drise
Show the answer
A: cringe. The other three mean the opposite of cower.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to cower?
- Astand
- Bflinch
- Cshrink
- Dcringe
Show the answer
A: stand. The other three mean nearly the same as cower.
Words that mean something similar
cringe, shrink, flinch
Words that mean the opposite
stand, rise, face
More words about movement & action
- crumple: To crush something into creases and folds.
- dawdle: To walk or do something slowly because you are wasting time.
- deft: Quick and skilful, especially with your hands.
- demolish: To knock something down completely.
- descend: To go or climb down.
- devour: To eat something quickly and greedily.
- dexterous: Very skilful and quick with your hands.
- disperse: To scatter and go off in different directions.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test