as in fearfulness
a shameful lack of courage in the face of danger
the cowardice shown by political leaders who were willing to give the Nazis whatever they wanted
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Recent Examples of cowardice
Furthermore, his cowardice in the face of Israel’s genocide in Gaza is utterly unacceptable.
—
Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 4 Dec. 2025
His new visions are shattered by an explosion of light and color as, beneath his fist, the green light blazes, the kyber crystal of the Jedi screaming in corruption and cowardice, in fear and loathing—the lies of the Jedi revealed at last.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
The result is that Hamas has reaped the political windfall of its own callous cowardice.
—Aviva Klompas, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Monster doesn’t have answers for these questions, just a general disdain for Americans and broad observations about our own cowardice.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cowardice
Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 4 Dec. 2025
His new visions are shattered by an explosion of light and color as, beneath his fist, the green light blazes, the kyber crystal of the Jedi screaming in corruption and cowardice, in fear and loathing—the lies of the Jedi revealed at last.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
The result is that Hamas has reaped the political windfall of its own callous cowardice.
—Aviva Klompas, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Monster doesn’t have answers for these questions, just a general disdain for Americans and broad observations about our own cowardice.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cowardice
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cowardice
Noun
-
Given the President’s long-standing support for corporate tax cuts and deregulation of industry, this pusillanimity is perhaps not so surprising.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Our logrolling, our stumps and their politics, our fisheries, our Negroes and Indians, our boasts and our repudiations, the wrath of rogues and the pusillanimity of honest men, the northern trade, the southern planting, the western clearing, Oregon, and Texas, are yet unsung.—
Mark Edmundson,
Harper’s Magazine ,
12 Dec. 2022
Noun
-
Some protesters are there to boo and shame Benitez for her spinelessness.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
14 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cowardice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cowardice. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
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