Cowed
/kaʊd/noun
Subdued, intimidated, or made fearful.
Did you know?The verb comes from the same Old Norse root as Icelandic *kúga* “to oppress,” and English first used it in the sense of making someone shrink back in fear.
Etymological Timeline
Old Norse
ON
kúga
“to oppress, coerce, make one submit”
Old English
OE
cū
“cow”
Middle English
ME
cowen
“to frighten, intimidate, or subdue”
16th Century
English
cowed
“frightened into submission”
Modern English
English
cowed
“subdued, intimidated, or made fearful”