coward

noun

cow·​ard ˈkau̇(-ə)rd 

: one who shows disgraceful fear or timidity

a coward who deserted his troops

coward adjective

Synonyms

• chicken
• craven
• cur
• dastard
• funk
• poltroon
• recreant
• sissy

Examples of coward in a Sentence

a proven coward who had deserted his troops

the soldiers who ran as soon as the first shots were fired were branded as cowards

Recent Examples on the Web

Advertisement At the height of the nation’s struggle of conscience over the Vietnam War, that decision had multiple possible consequences for a young man: ostracism by friends and family, loss of employment opportunities, and lifetime stigma as being unpatriotic or worse — a coward. —Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2024

Democrats who fund the campaigns of election deniers are no better than the cowards and bootlickers described in that book. —Krista Kafer, The Denver Post, 12 June 2024

And are Republicans a bunch of cowards and traitors? —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 29 May 2024

The Kaiser, who had backed down in previous confrontations, was afraid of being called a coward; the tsar feared for his throne and the honor of Russia; and the emperor—old, ill, and alone—could not stand up to his generals. —Margaret MacMillan, Foreign Affairs, 11 Aug. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French cuard, from cue, coe tail, from Latin cauda

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

coward

noun

cow·​ard ˈkau̇(-ə)rd 

: one who shows shameful fear or timidity

coward adjective

Etymology

Middle English coward "coward," from early French cuard "coward," from cue, coe "tail," from Latin cauda "tail" — related to coda, cue entry 2, queue see Word History at queue

Word Origin

A frightened animal may put its tail between its hind legs, and if it is very frightened it may run away. In an animal like the hare, the white flash of the fleeing tail is especially obvious. This action gives us the phrase turn tail, meaning "to run away, flee." But even tailless animals like people can turn tail and run when frightened. It is in the "tail end" of an army that you might expect to find the cowards. We do not know whether the word coward developed from the idea of an animal's tail or an army's, but we do know the word comes from an early French word that meant "tail."

Biographical Definition

Coward

biographical name

Cow·​ard ˈkau̇(-ə)rd 

Sir Noël Peirce 1899–1973 English actor and dramatist