He has a fearsome intellect before which even the most learned cower.
Source: tatoeba (623303)
Cower
/ˈkaʊɚ/
Synonyms for "cower" (68 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (14)
Strong matches (20)
Related words (34)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: cringe, abase, apple-polish, avoid, bend.
- Sentence evidence is available for cower, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "cower".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "cower"
Keep "cower" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "cower" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "cower", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "cower" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
7 entriesMore specific
6 entriesCollocations
6 entriesavoidance behaviorcowering posturedefensive crouchfear responseretreating behaviorsubmissive stance
Inflections
3 entriesTranslations
50 translations across 23 languages.
Ancient Greek
1 entries- καταπτήσσω verb (to crouch in fear)
Bulgarian
2 entries- свивам се verb (to crouch in fear)
- треперя verb (to crouch in fear)
Catalan
1 entries- encongir-se verb (to crouch in fear)
Chinese Mandarin
2 entries- 抖縮 /抖缩 verb (to crouch in fear)
- 退縮 /退缩 verb (to crouch in fear)
Czech
1 entries- krčit se verb (to crouch in fear)
Dutch
2 entries- in elkaar duiken verb (to crouch in fear)
- ineenkrimpen verb (to crouch in fear)
Finnish
4 entries- kartella verb (to crouch in fear)
- karttaa verb (to crouch in fear)
- kyyristellä verb (to crouch in fear)
- kyyristyä verb (to crouch in fear)
French
2 entries- se recroqueviller verb (to crouch in fear)
- se tapir verb (to crouch in fear)
German
2 entries- kauern verb (to crouch in fear)
- ängstlich hocken verb (to crouch in fear)
Irish
2 entries- creathnaigh verb (to crouch in fear)
- cúb verb (to crouch in fear)
Japanese
2 entries- 畏怖する verb (to crouch in fear)
- 踞る verb (to crouch in fear)
Middle English
1 entries- couren verb (to crouch in fear)
Māori
3 entries- hūiki verb (to crouch in fear)
- whakamaoko verb (to crouch in fear)
- whakaririka verb (to crouch in fear)
Norwegian Bokmål
2 entries- krympe seg verb (to crouch in fear)
- krype sammen verb (to crouch in fear)
Norwegian Nynorsk
2 entries- krympe seg verb (to crouch in fear)
- krype saman verb (to crouch in fear)
Occitan
3 entries- s’acaptar verb (to crouch in fear)
- s’aglatir verb (to crouch in fear)
- s’amatar verb (to crouch in fear)
Ottoman Turkish
1 entries- پوصمق verb (to crouch in fear)
Polish
4 entries- kulić się verb (to crouch in fear)
- przycupnąć verb (to crouch in fear)
- skulać się verb (to crouch in fear)
- skulić się verb (to crouch in fear)
Portuguese
1 entries- encolher verb (to crouch in fear)
Russian
4 entries- заби́ться verb (to crouch in fear)
- забива́ться verb (to crouch in fear)
- сжа́ться verb (to crouch in fear)
- сжима́ться verb (to crouch in fear)
Serbo-Croatian
2 entries- kutriti verb (to crouch in fear)
- skutriti se verb (to crouch in fear)
Spanish
2 entries- amilanarse verb (to crouch in fear)
- encogerse verb (to crouch in fear)
Swedish
2 entries- krypa ihop verb (to crouch in fear)
- kura verb (to crouch in fear)
Sample sentences
13 total sentences available.
Here, with her hundred daughters, pale with dread, / poor Hecuba and all her female train, / as doves, that from the low'ring storm have fled, / and cower for shelter from the pelting rain, / crouch round the silent gods, and cling to them in vain.
Source: tatoeba (6844098)
The answer to fear is not to cower and hide; it is not to surrender feebly without contest. The answer is to stand and face it boldly. Look at it, analyze it, and, in the end, act.
Source: tatoeba (6918576)
The noise caused Lorenzo to cower in fear.
Source: tatoeba (11709086)
Showing 4 of 13 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "cower"?
Closest matches include cringe, abase, apple-polish, avoid, bend.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "cower"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.