COWARDLY Synonyms: 103 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'cowardly' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of cowardly are craven , dastardly , and pusillanimous . While all these words mean "having or showing a lack of courage," cowardly implies a weak or ignoble lack of courage. // a cowardly failure to stand up for principle

Q: When would 'craven' be a good substitute for 'cowardly'?

The synonyms craven and cowardly are sometimes interchangeable, but craven suggests extreme defeatism and complete lack of resistance. // secretly despised her own craven yes-men

Q: When is it sensible to use 'dastardly' instead of 'cowardly'?

While in some cases nearly identical to cowardly , dastardly often implies behavior that is both cowardly and treacherous or skulking or outrageous. // a dastardly attack on unarmed civilians

Q: When could 'pusillanimous' be used to replace 'cowardly'?

In some situations, the words pusillanimous and cowardly are roughly equivalent. However, pusillanimous suggests a contemptible lack of courage. // the pusillanimous fear of a future full of possibility

cowardly 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of cowardly

as in afraid

having or showing a shameful lack of courage a cowardly bully who picks on the weak and defenseless vile charges that were made in a cowardly, unsigned letter

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cowardly

2 of 2

adverb

as in cravenly

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How does the adjective cowardly differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of cowardly are craven, dastardly, and pusillanimous. While all these words mean "having or showing a lack of courage," cowardly implies a weak or ignoble lack of courage.

a cowardly failure to stand up for principle

When would craven be a good substitute for cowardly?

The synonyms craven and cowardly are sometimes interchangeable, but craven suggests extreme defeatism and complete lack of resistance.

secretly despised her own craven yes-men

When is it sensible to use dastardly instead of cowardly?

While in some cases nearly identical to cowardly, dastardly often implies behavior that is both cowardly and treacherous or skulking or outrageous.

a dastardly attack on unarmed civilians

When could pusillanimous be used to replace cowardly?

In some situations, the words pusillanimous and cowardly are roughly equivalent. However, pusillanimous suggests a contemptible lack of courage.

the pusillanimous fear of a future full of possibility

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of cowardly

Adjective

Weiss, Maher says, told him her internal critics are too cowardly to say anything to her face. — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 23 July 2026 Nikki is critical of the latter, calling it selfish and cowardly. — Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Adverb

Thomas Jefferson, the great hero of the Declaration of Independence, is shown as hypocritical, cowardly, manipulative, a schemer of every kind. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026 The fact that the administration, and our secretary of state and the president tried to blame Israel is outrageous, cowardly and dangerous. — Jim Defede, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cowardly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cowardly

Adjective

Opt for a dark wash without rips and frays to keep the look streamlined, but don't be afraid to play with proportions and have fun with patterns and texture.

— Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 13 Oct. 2026
Measure What Customers Do After The Test Pick five to eight people who already trust you and aren’t afraid to tell you the truth.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of afraid

Adjective

Did my eyes widen, revealing a craven journalist ready to pounce on an exclusive?

— Jason Sheeler, InStyle, 9 Sep. 2026
She was especially hurt that some of the people who criticized Cox most harshly, dismissing him as craven and disingenuous, were those who had the closest relationships with him.

— McKay Coppins, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of craven

Adverb

After they were patted down, the women timidly entered the small space, sitting side-by-side in salon chairs to wait for Dastine and her two assistants to assess their hair.

— Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 8 Oct. 2026
The rest of the Soviet delegation stamped their feet, and even Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko removed and timidly tapped his shoe in solidarity.

— Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of timidly

Adjective

The move comes after years of criticism from animal rights advocates who charge that the horses are overworked, get easily scared and live in inadequate stables with drivers flouting city regulations.

— Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
Older riders, who once sold important organs to buy in-line fours, are now too old and too scared to even care what 14,000rpm in top means on an in-line four.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of scared

Adjective

While opponents treated Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham like punching bags, White hid behind spineless PR fluff instead of defending her stars.

— Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Trump does not ask, but demands, and these spineless Republicans fall on their knees and yield to his wishes.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of spineless

Adjective

Forget about the networks, the streaming money is just going to continue to get bigger, especially at a time when there are almost as many pay channels as there are gutless members of Congress.

— Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026
Trump’s revenge tour also took down five Indiana state senators who had voted against the midterm gerrymandering to which Florida’s gutless Republicans have agreed.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 29 May 2026

Definition of gutless

Adjective

Discovering that your identity has been stolen can leave you feeling angry, frightened and unsure where to begin.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
In one video, a young orangutan can be seen crouching in the corner of a small, dark crate, its frightened eyes wide open.

— Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of frightened

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“Cowardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cowardly. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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