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