verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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General-American:/ˈkaʊɚ/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈkaʊə/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
To crouch or cringe, or to avoid or shy away from something, in fear.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
He'd be useless in war. He'd just cower in his bunker until the enemy came in and shot him, or until the war was over.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To crouch in general.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To cause to cower; to frighten into submission.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To be a coward; to hide away or refuse to face opposition due to fear.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To cherish with care.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
show submission or fear
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: fawn, crawl, creep, cringe, grovel
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: bend, flex
7
verb
Meaning 7
crouch or curl up
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
They huddled outside in the rain
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: huddle
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: crouch, stoop, bend, bow
History
Etymology
From Middle English couren, cowre, from Middle Low German kûren (“to lie in wait; linger”) or from North Germanic (Icelandic kúra (“to doze”)); according to Pokorny, all are ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gew- (“to curve, bend”), see also Proto-Germanic *kuddô (“shell, pod”). Cognate with German kauern (“to squat”), Dutch koeren (“to keep watch (in a cowered position)”), Serbo-Croatian kutriti (“to lie in a bent position”), Swedish kura (“huddle, cower”). Unrelated to coward, which is of Latin origin.
Across languages
Translations
50 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
свивам се
(svivam se)
— to crouch in fear
Bulgarian:
треперя
(treperja)
— to crouch in fear
Catalan:
encongir-se
— to crouch in fear
Chinese Mandarin:
抖縮 /抖缩
(dǒusuō)
— to crouch in fear
Chinese Mandarin:
退縮 /退缩
(tuìsuō)
— to crouch in fear
Czech:
krčit se
— to crouch in fear
Dutch:
in elkaar duiken
— to crouch in fear
Dutch:
ineenkrimpen
— to crouch in fear
Finnish:
kyyristellä
— to crouch in fear
Finnish:
kyyristyä
— to crouch in fear
Finnish:
karttaa
— to crouch in fear
Finnish:
kartella
— to crouch in fear
French:
se recroqueviller
— to crouch in fear
French:
se tapir
— to crouch in fear
German:
kauern
— to crouch in fear
German:
ängstlich hocken
— to crouch in fear
Ancient Greek:
καταπτήσσω
(kataptḗssō)
— to crouch in fear
Irish:
cúb
— to crouch in fear
Irish:
creathnaigh
— to crouch in fear
Japanese:
踞る
(uzukumaru)
— to crouch in fear
Japanese:
畏怖する
(ifu suru)
— to crouch in fear
Māori:
whakamaoko
— to crouch in fear
Māori:
hūiki
— to crouch in fear
Māori:
whakaririka
— to crouch in fear
Middle English:
couren
— to crouch in fear
Norwegian Bokmål:
krype sammen
— to crouch in fear
Norwegian Bokmål:
krympe seg
— to crouch in fear
Norwegian Nynorsk:
krype saman
— to crouch in fear
Norwegian Nynorsk:
krympe seg
— to crouch in fear
Occitan:
s’amatar
— to crouch in fear
Occitan:
s’acaptar
— to crouch in fear
Occitan:
s’aglatir
— to crouch in fear
Polish:
kulić się
— to crouch in fear
Polish:
skulać się
— to crouch in fear
Polish:
skulić się
— to crouch in fear
Polish:
przycupnąć
— to crouch in fear
Portuguese:
encolher
— to crouch in fear
Russian:
съёживаться
(sʺjóživatʹsja)
— to crouch in fear
Russian:
съёжиться
(sʺjóžitʹsja)
— to crouch in fear
Russian:
сжима́ться
(sžimátʹsja)
— to crouch in fear
Russian:
сжа́ться
(sžátʹsja)
— to crouch in fear
Russian:
забива́ться
(zabivátʹsja)
— to crouch in fear
Russian:
заби́ться
(zabítʹsja)
— to crouch in fear
Serbo-Croatian:
skutriti se
— to crouch in fear
Serbo-Croatian:
kutriti
— to crouch in fear
Spanish:
encogerse
— to crouch in fear
Spanish:
amilanarse
— to crouch in fear
Swedish:
kura
— to crouch in fear
Swedish:
krypa ihop
— to crouch in fear
Ottoman Turkish:
پوصمق
(pusmak)
— to crouch in fear
