cowardly implies a weak or ignoble lack of courage.
a cowardly failure to stand up for principle
pusillanimous suggests a contemptible lack of courage.
the pusillanimous fear of a future full of possibility
craven suggests extreme defeatism and complete lack of resistance.
secretly despised her own craven yes-men
dastardly often implies behavior that is both cowardly and treacherous or skulking or outrageous.
a dastardly attack on unarmed civilians
Examples of cowardly in a Sentence
Adjective
He insisted on avoiding a cowardly retreat.
She made a cowardly decision to go along with the group.
a cowardly attack from behind
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Adverb
Who would have ever thought that the image of a man who is on tape cowardly shooting someone in the back would be used to sell clothes.—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025 That’s not true: This cruel, cowardly vandalism awakened the pain Orlando still feels from that horrific night.—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Now innocent children are dying because so many people were too cowardly to speak up.—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025 The rest of the statement was full of equally cowardly equivocation.—Sahar Mustafah
august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cowardly
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