as in cowardice
a shameful lack of courage in the face of danger
the soldier was court-martialed for cowardliness under fire
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in afraid
having or showing a shameful lack of courage
a cowardly bully who picks on the weak and defenseless vile charges that were made in a cowardly, unsigned letter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in cravenly
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cowardliness
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025
Nothing is spared in recounting their odious criminal acts and the cowardly machinations of the church’s leadership to hide them.
—Mary Jo McConahay, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025
Lizzie Logan, Vulture, 2 May 2025
Reeve’s Clark put on a bumbling and cowardly display, in line with much of the early comic strip stories, but only gradually incorporated more of the investigative reporter elements.
—Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cowardliness
Adjective
Playing Switzerland is a dangerous game for a Housewife — never choosing a side is seen as a cowardly position that quickly wears thin.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025
Nothing is spared in recounting their odious criminal acts and the cowardly machinations of the church’s leadership to hide them.
—Mary Jo McConahay, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025
Adverb
There’s an undercurrent of electricity between her and the ruthless cartel leader (Salma Hayek) using her as a bargaining chip, but Stone is too cowardly to let the hotties smooch, squandering the only energy Lively was able to muster for this potent strain of mess.
—Lizzie Logan, Vulture, 2 May 2025
Reeve’s Clark put on a bumbling and cowardly display, in line with much of the early comic strip stories, but only gradually incorporated more of the investigative reporter elements.
—Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cowardliness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cowardliness
Noun
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There’s something undeniably cathartic about a figure as successful as Rogen, who co-created the series, speaking out about Hollywood’s creative cowardice.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
-
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa characterized the flight of Afrikaners from his country as an act of cowardice.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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The youngest cast member at the time, Williams set the tone for the raw emotion the show was not afraid to show over the years.—
Jen Juneau,
People.com,
24 May 2025
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Moreover, Rocket has a relatively new CEO who wants to dominate the mortgage industry and is not afraid of technology, previously working at Intuit, PayPal, Groupon and Microsoft.—
Kenneth Squire,
CNBC,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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Though authorities in South Yorkshire and centrally were to blame for the disaster, some of the deceased were still fighting for their lives when those responsible started shifting the focus away from their own failings, buttressed by support from craven sections of the media.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
-
Lead actors Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Anthony Mackie share minimal chemistry, though the episode’s most craven move has to be contriving a loophole giving the romantic opposites an easy out.—
Charles Bramesco,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Reid’s statement was striking for its sheer pusillanimity.—
Adam S. Posen,
Foreign Affairs,
14 Dec. 2015
-
What a profile in pusillanimity.—
The Editorial Board,
WSJ,
23 May 2022
Adjective
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Plus, hearing from the new owners, those dogs have also been scared and skittish around humans.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 May 2025
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While gold is a popular choice when investors are scared, other alternatives such as infrastructure and real estate offer similar protection.—
Eric Satz,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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This is because her spineless boyfriend was with her on that bus and plane and sat 2 rows away.—
Moná Thomas,
People.com,
27 May 2025
-
Matt and his direct reports quickly reveal themselves to be spineless, self-important, thin-skinned, and out of touch.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
Adjective
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Two baseballs flew down toward the San Diego Padres’ Jurickson Profar from the left-field corner stands, the gutless moves of two cowards.—
Bill Plaschke,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Oct. 2024
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And the really jaw-dropping part of AMLO’s gutless abdication?—
Tim Padgett,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Aug. 2024
Adjective
-
Horses are naturally skittish animals that can easily become frightened and bolt.—
Moná Thomas,
People.com,
27 May 2025
-
Footage from the immediate aftermath captured mothers and fathers clutching children on their hips, running through the mist of water dousing the flames, while frightened dogs scrambled alongside them.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cowardliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cowardliness. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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