Cowered

Past tense of 'coward', referring to the act of crouching in fear or humility; to shrink away or recoil, often due to the presence of danger or intimidation. It often indicates a loss of courage in the face of threatening situations, showcasing a natural instinct to protect oneself from harm.

Cowered meaning with examples

• As the thunder roared outside, the little boy cowered under his blanket, too frightened to peek out. His imagination ran wild, and he envisioned monstrous creatures lurking in the storm, further deepening his sense of fear and helplessness as he clung tightly to his toy bear for comfort.
• When the teacher raised her voice for the umpteenth time, the students in the front row cowered in their seats, afraid of being called out for their misplaced attention. The atmosphere became tense, and many squeezed their eyes shut, wishing to escape the sharp reprimand that echoed through the classroom.
• The stray dog cowered in the corner of the alley, trembling and unsure whether to trust the kind-hearted person who offered it food. With every movement towards it, he flinched, displaying the trauma from its previous life, where kindness may have been a rare occurrence amidst harsh treatment.
• In the face of the bully's taunts, Tom cowered behind his friends, wishing the ground would swallow him whole. Instead of standing up for himself, he felt the heat of embarrassment wash over him, and clinging to his friends felt like the only safe option as his mind raced with shame.