coward

noun

cow·​ard ˈkau̇(-ə)rd How to pronounce coward (audio)
: one who shows disgraceful fear or timidity
a coward who deserted his troops
coward adjective

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 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 In the process, Cain also dropped a truth bomb on her audience which might qualify as the spiciest Zelda take of 2024: Skyward Sword was good, and all the haters are just cowards. Samantha Riedel, Them, 2 Oct. 2024 Queensland police say the coward assaulted the infant at Hanlon Park in Stones Corner around noon on Aug. 27. Bradford Betz, Fox News, 10 Sep. 2024 Walz, who graduated from Chadron State College in Nebraska, mocked Vance's Ivy League education and Silicon Valley employment before effectively calling him a coward in front of a national television audience. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 7 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for coward 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coward.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of coward was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near coward

Cite this Entry

“Coward.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coward. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

coward

noun
cow·​ard ˈkau̇(-ə)rd How to pronounce coward (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce Coward (audio)
Sir Noël Peirce 1899–1973 English actor and dramatist

More from Merriam-Webster on coward

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