Synonyms for

Chickens

Verb / ˈtʃɪkʌnz / Another word for chickens — explore alternatives below. For syllable breakdowns and pronunciation, see this word on Syllablesworld.

Definition

Chickens are domesticated birds kept for their meat or eggs.

Synonyms & similar words

volaille wimp chicken gallusgallus crybaby poulet fowl poultry birds hens roosters chicks broilers capons pullets roasters layers turkeys geese ducks quails pheasants partridges peafowl

Synonyms by register

Formal

cowardice timidity pusillanimity

Informal

scaredy-cat wimp chicken-livered yellow

Literary

craven lily-livered

Antonyms

brave bold courageous valiant heroic fearless

Common collocations

  • chicken out
  • don't be a chicken
  • chicken feed
  • chicken soup
  • chicken wire
  • fried chicken
  • roast chicken

Word family

noun chicken
adjective chicken
adverb chickenly

Usage note

The informal use of 'chicken' to mean cowardly is common but can be considered mildly insulting. It is often used in the phrase 'chicken out'.

Example sentences

  1. I like to eat scrambled eggs made from chickens' eggs.
  2. My dad likes to grill chicken for dinner.
  3. The farmer collects the eggs from the chicken coop every morning.
  4. The rooster crowed to wake up the chickens.
  5. My friend has a pet chicken named Daisy.

Quotes

  • I can't even look at a chicken without thinking about how they are raised and what's been injected into them. It's scary.
  • I don't eat chicken anymore. I used to love it. But the more I read about the treatment of animals, I couldn't do it anymore.
  • The chicken is a bird, which has been domesticated for thousands of years and is still one of the most common and widespread animals in the world.

Try these popular words

the and that for you with was this are have not from

Practice

Play the Word Synonyms game · Choose level (start near 1)

Worksheets

Grade 4 · Grade 5 · Grade 6

Topics

Guides

Explore more words