基本释义

[verb] crouch down in fear
[动词] 恐惧地蹲下

深入解读

Cower 是一个与常见词 cover 十分形似且容易混淆的单词。

该词可能源自中古低地德语 kūren (埋伏等待),最早于14世纪初出现在英语中,原本用来表示“蹲、弯腰曲背地站”,这个含义目前仅在英国部分方言中使用。

等到了14世纪末后, cower 开始发展出现在的主要含义指因恐惧而“蜷缩、畏缩、退缩”,强调一种卑贱或懦弱的恐惧,特别是在那些暴虐或专横的人面前,比如:

  • 那个胆小的女孩蜷缩在角落里,吓得语无伦次。
    The timid girl cowered in the corner, gibbering with terror.
  • 那条恶狗挨打后缩在桌子底下。
    The vicious dog cowered under the table after being whipped.

图书例句

Dumbledore began to cower as though invisible torturers surrounded him; his flailing hand almost knocked the refilled goblet from Harry’s trembling hands as he moaned, “Don’t hurt them, don’t hurt them, please, please, it’s my fault, hurt me instead…”
邓布利多蜷缩成一团,似乎周围有一些看不见的人在折磨他。他的手胡乱挥动着,差点把哈利颤抖的手里那只重新舀满的杯子打翻,嘴里呻吟道:“别伤害他们,别伤害他们,求求你,求求你,都是我的错,冲我来吧……”
出自英国作家J·K·罗琳的奇幻小说《哈利·波特》系列的第六本《哈利·波特与混血王子》(Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince)。

外刊例句

  • Locked in a cellar as his father approaches, Richard resolves not to cower.
    父亲步步紧逼,被囚禁在地下室中的理查决意不再退缩。
    ——《经济学人》
  • The key is to stand up and fight it, and not back down, and make it very clear that we will not cower.
    关键是要站起来与之斗争,不要退缩,并明确表示我们不会畏缩。
    ——《纽约时报》

常见短语

cower” 是指因害怕、紧张或威胁而畏缩、蜷缩的动作。以下是包含单词“cower”的50个短语,以及它们的中文解释:

  1. cower in fear: 因恐惧而畏缩
  2. cower from danger: 因危险而退缩
  3. cower in the corner: 在角落里蜷缩
  4. cower under the table: 躲在桌子底下蜷缩
  5. cower from the storm: 因风暴而畏缩
  6. cower in the darkness: 在黑暗中蜷缩
  7. cower at the sound: 因声音而退缩
  8. cower in the presence of authority: 在权威面前畏缩
  9. cower against the wall: 靠在墙边蜷缩
  10. cower from the loud noise: 因大声的噪音而退缩
  11. cower in the face of danger: 在危险面前畏缩
  12. cower in a defensive posture: 采取防御姿势蜷缩
  13. cower under the bed: 躲在床底下蜷缩
  14. cower at the sight of something frightening: 看到可怕的东西时畏缩
  15. cower from the oncoming threat: 因逼近的威胁而退缩
  16. cower in response to aggression: 对攻击做出畏缩反应
  17. cower away from confrontation: 回避冲突而退缩
  18. cower in the shadow: 在阴影中蜷缩
  19. cower from the glare: 因眩光而蜷缩
  20. cower in submission: 屈服时蜷缩
  21. cower from the angry voice: 因愤怒的声音而退缩
  22. cower when faced with a challenge: 面对挑战时蜷缩
  23. cower in response to criticism: 对批评做出畏缩反应
  24. cower at the approach of danger: 因危险的逼近而畏缩
  25. cower in the back of the room: 躲在房间的后面蜷缩
  26. cower from the sudden noise: 因突然的噪音而退缩
  27. cower in the presence of a larger animal: 在大动物面前蜷缩
  28. cower instinctively: 出于本能蜷缩
  29. cower at the threat of punishment: 因惩罚的威胁而退缩
  30. cower from the approaching vehicle: 因逼近的车辆而畏缩
  31. cower in response to a raised hand: 对举起的手做出畏缩反应
  32. cower in the corner of the room: 在房间的角落蜷缩
  33. cower at the sound of thunder: 因雷声而蜷缩
  34. cower in the face of hostility: 面对敌意蜷缩
  35. cower from the potential danger: 因潜在的危险而退缩
  36. cower at the approach of a stranger: 因陌生人的逼近而畏缩
  37. cower in the presence of an aggressive person: 在好斗者面前畏缩
  38. cower from the shouting: 因喊叫声而退缩
  39. cower in the corner of the cage: 蜷缩在笼子的角落
  40. cower instinctively from the sudden movement: 出于本能对突然的动作退缩
  41. cower from the bright light: 因强光而蜷缩
  42. cower at the sudden sound: 因突然的声音而退缩
  43. cower in response to a raised voice: 对抬高的声音做出畏缩反应
  44. cower under the tree branches: 躲在树枝下蜷缩
  45. cower at the sight of a predator: 看到捕食者时蜷缩
  46. cower from the aggressive behavior: 因攻击性行为而退缩
  47. cower in the face of a fierce storm: 在猛烈风暴面前蜷缩
  48. cower from the unknown noise: 因不明噪音而退缩
  49. cower in response to a sudden movement: 对突然动作做出畏缩反应
  50. cower at the threat of violence: 因暴力威胁而畏缩

同近义词

cringe: bend one’s head and body in fear or in a servile manner
shrink: move back or away, especially because of fear or disgust
flinch: make a quick, nervous movement as an instinctive reaction to fear, pain, or surprise

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