coward 1 of 2

as in craven
a person who shows a shameful lack of courage in the face of danger the soldiers who ran as soon as the first shots were fired were branded as cowards

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

coward

2 of 2

adjective

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 coward
Adjective
According to Boxing called Davis a coward for his decision. Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025 But Democrats look like cowards for fleeing the state. Nicole Russell, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2025 Today’s Republican Party is a bunch of weak, spineless cowards who cower in obedient terror at Trump’s feet. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 12 July 2025 With rising apprehension, the Cabinet kept deliberating for a couple of days while Sumner did his best to shut down jingoistic rhetoric in the Senate from politicians who demanded that Lincoln not be a coward in the face of Great Britain. Zaakir Tameez june 11, Literary Hub, 11 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for coward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coward
Noun
  • Missourians have the opportunity to put this craven power grab up for a vote.
    Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • In practice, despite his rhetoric, Israel’s longest serving prime minister’s security policy was widely seen as cautious and relatively restrained, even derided as cowardly by political rivals, who also mocked his inability to make decisive moves.
    Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Violence in a place of worship is a cowardly and criminal act.
    Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Honey ginger chicken with brown rice is easy to make and your home will be filled with aromas that hint of warmth and coziness.
    Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Some blends combined chicken and pork, while others used beef and pork.
    Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • In a year of gutless moves by major media companies, this may be the most gutless.
    Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Listen, by doing it this way, with a press release instead of a press conference, Rose looks both gutless and gutty at the same time.
    Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • Some also have lost lawyers, dismayed by the pusillanimous behavior of their leaders.
    Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025
  • The second believed the United States could attain comprehensive security through military-technological means and saw diplomacy as a quixotic or pusillanimous enterprise that dishonored and weakened the country.
    A. Wess Mitchell, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Coward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coward. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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