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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in cowardly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025
Meanwhile, Democrats — who are usually cowards when the subject is race — are afraid to defend DEI.
—Ruben Navarrette, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Feb. 2025
McGee, Knight, and Torres step onto the Elevator of Schemes and Secrets full of speculation, like why is LaRoche interested in scoring political points with this case, and what kind of coward hides behind a fake name anyway?
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 17 Dec. 2024
This sick, twisted and evil coward showed no regard for Laken or human life.
—Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 21 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for coward
Noun
The employees are spoiled and the investors are cowards.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025
Meanwhile, Democrats — who are usually cowards when the subject is race — are afraid to defend DEI.
—Ruben Navarrette, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Feb. 2025
McGee, Knight, and Torres step onto the Elevator of Schemes and Secrets full of speculation, like why is LaRoche interested in scoring political points with this case, and what kind of coward hides behind a fake name anyway?
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 17 Dec. 2024
This sick, twisted and evil coward showed no regard for Laken or human life.
—Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 21 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for coward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coward
Adjective
-
Denying students access to our complete history is fundamentally cowardly.—
Britt Hogue,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Feb. 2025
-
Two beloved members of the Tijuana journalism community were killed in two separate cowardly attacks.—
Tania Navarro,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
What to try: Visitors can order from a new food menu that includes banh mi sliders and piri piri chicken tenders.—
Alayna Alvarez,
Axios,
22 Mar. 2025
-
Broody hens also cluck in a low tone, growl at other chickens when approached, and may keep their wings outstretched and their feathers puffed up.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
And the really jaw-dropping part of AMLO’s gutless abdication?—
Tim Padgett,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Aug. 2024
-
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
Adjective
-
Columbia University, through a thoroughly pusillanimous capitulation to a multi-million-dollar threat from the Trump administration, has put that conviction in the grave.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2025
-
There was no fanfare — indeed no announcement or change in Oscar rules — but a firestorm of controversy resulted, followed by the Academy’s cowardly, pusillanimous silence on the issue.—
Armond White,
National Review,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
In the new showbiz comedy The Studio, Bryan Cranston has a recurring role as Griffin Mill, the craven movie executive played by Tim Robbins in the 1992 film The Player.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2025
-
In any event Marshall, a craven idiot, is a raucous, vulgar sendup of the bedrock American principle of Manifest Destiny.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
7 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Coward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coward. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share