Definition of cowardice
: lack of courage or firmness of purpose soldiers accused of cowardice
Explore M-W
Examples of cowardice in a Sentence
the cowardice shown by political leaders who were willing to give the Nazis whatever they wanted
Recent Examples of cowardice from the Web
-
Starring Gary Cooper as the sheriff who must decide whether to face a band of outlaws and Grace Kelly as his pacifist bride, the classic 1952 Western movie is essentially good versus evil, bravery versus cowardice, sacrifiice versus selfishness.
-
THE FACTS: Cowardice and courage are in the eye of the beholder.
-
That's because the character trait that best describes him is not toughness, but cowardice.
-
The presence of black soldiers on the field of battle shattered every myth the South’s slave empire was built on: The happy docility of slaves, their intellectual inferiority, their cowardice, their inability to compete with whites.
-
The NAACP’s stance against charter schools and the right to school choice for millions of poor black parents starkly symbolizes how black political influence is too often black political cowardice and hypocrisy.
-
The noose has long represented a deplorable act of cowardice and depravity – a symbol of extreme violence for African-Americans.
-
Museum founding Director Lonnie Bunch III says in an email that the noose represents an act of cowardice and depravity.
-
The noose has long represented a deplorable act of cowardice and depravity — a symbol of extreme violence for African Americans.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cowardice.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of cowardice
Middle English cowardise, from Anglo-French coardise, from cuard —see coward
COWARDICE Defined for English Language Learners
cowardice
playDefinition of cowardice for English Language Learners
-
: fear that makes you unable to do what is right or expected : lack of courage
COWARDICE Defined for Kids
Learn More about cowardice
-
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for cowardice Spanish Central: Translation of cowardice Nglish: Translation of cowardice for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of cowardice for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up cowardice? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!