coward

noun

cow·​ard ˈkau̇(-ə)rd 

: one who shows disgraceful fear or timidity

a coward who deserted his troops

coward adjective

Synonyms of coward

• craven
• chicken

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

Corey Graves was much more talkative this time around, lambasting Big Cass as a coward while supporting Evans. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

To me, the most notable change — outside of Robert not getting fully naked, you cowards — is that the meltdown is witnessed by much more of the senior class. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026

The mythmaking rebellion of Tekena, first of her name, for the sake of a coward’s love was as recognizable to her descendants as their need to cross borders, both ethnic and geographic, in search of a happiness that wasn’t promised. — Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026

In reality, the refs just do the bidding of the cowards behind the curtain. — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 14 July 2026

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

Rhymes for coward

• cowered
• floured
• flowered
• froward
• glowered
• powered
• scoured
• showered
• soured
• towered
• devoured
• empowered

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