cower means to crouch or cringe, or to avoid or shy away from something, in fear. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 74 out of 100.
cower is pronounced /ˈkaʊɚ/.
Why “cower” is a great word
COWER — [Verb] To crouch or shrink down in fear, often in an instinctive attempt to avoid notice or harm. From Middle English couren, cowre, from Middle Low German kûren ("to lie in wait; linger") or a North Germanic source (compare Icelandic kúra, "to doze"), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gew- ("to curve, bend"). Unlike "cringe," which suggests a mental recoil of servility or distaste, or "grovel," which implies abject, prostrate submission, to cower is the body's raw, physical calculus of terror. It is a dog flattened beneath the table at the crack of thunder, a child pressing into a corner as raised voices echo, a soldier huddled in a shell-scrape as the world tears itself apart overhead—the silent, animal grammar of waiting for a blow to pass.
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.
verb
- To crouch or cringe, or to avoid or shy away from something, in fear.“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.”
- To crouch in general.“Some sterner virtues o’er the mountain’s breast
May sit, like falcons, cowering on the nest”
- To cause to cower; to frighten into submission.“This done, their doubts will vanish, and they will stand confronted by an object lesson which must have the effect either to arouse them to a determination to banish despotism from the land, or cower them into submission and servitude.”
- To be a coward; to hide away or refuse to face opposition due to fear.
- To cherish with care.