coward

noun

cow·​ard ˈkau̇(-ə)rd 

: one who shows disgraceful fear or timidity

a coward who deserted his troops

coward adjective

Synonyms

• chicken
• craven
• cur
• dastard
• funk
• poltroon
• recreant
• sissy

Examples of coward in a Sentence

a proven coward who had deserted his troops

the soldiers who ran as soon as the first shots were fired were branded as cowards

Recent Examples on the Web

William quickly places Ian under arrest for assaulting an officer, as Rachel calls him a coward. —Lincee Ray, EW.com, 14 Dec. 2024

The Lemon Drop Kid (1951) Bob Hope didn’t so much play characters as variations on the Bob Hope persona, a wisecracking coward with a tendency to get in way over his head then make matters worse for himself. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024

This sick, twisted and evil coward showed no regard for Laken or human life. —Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 20 Nov. 2024

Numerous water bottles flew down toward the Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. from the right-field corner stands, the gutless moves of many cowards. —Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French cuard, from cue, coe tail, from Latin cauda

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

coward

noun

cow·​ard ˈkau̇(-ə)rd 

: one who shows shameful fear or timidity

coward adjective

Etymology

Middle English coward "coward," from early French cuard "coward," from cue, coe "tail," from Latin cauda "tail" — related to coda, cue entry 2, queue see Word History at queue

Word Origin

A frightened animal may put its tail between its hind legs, and if it is very frightened it may run away. In an animal like the hare, the white flash of the fleeing tail is especially obvious. This action gives us the phrase turn tail, meaning "to run away, flee." But even tailless animals like people can turn tail and run when frightened. It is in the "tail end" of an army that you might expect to find the cowards. We do not know whether the word coward developed from the idea of an animal's tail or an army's, but we do know the word comes from an early French word that meant "tail."

Biographical Definition

Coward

biographical name

Cow·​ard ˈkau̇(-ə)rd 

Sir Noël Peirce 1899–1973 English actor and dramatist