cowardice
noun
cow·ard·ice
ˈkau̇(-ə)r-dəs 
dialectal -(ˌ)dīs
: lack of courage or firmness of purpose
soldiers accused of cowardice
Examples of cowardice in a Sentence
the cowardice shown by political leaders who were willing to give the Nazis whatever they wanted
Recent Examples on the Web
When players try to preserve their shooting percentages by intentionally waiting for the clock to run out, Pritchard sees only cowardice.
—
Jay King, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
Admittedly, there’s a kind of intellectual arrogance, or moral cowardice, in holding myself apart from faith.
—Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
Increasingly, college and university presidents are saying that this is not the time for such leadership cowardice and are using their voices, despite some boards mistakenly wanting to silence them.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, TIME, 4 Feb. 2025
But because of the self-serving cowardice of Republican representatives and senators, he is not being called out on it.
—Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cowardice
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Jay King, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
Admittedly, there’s a kind of intellectual arrogance, or moral cowardice, in holding myself apart from faith.
—Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
Increasingly, college and university presidents are saying that this is not the time for such leadership cowardice and are using their voices, despite some boards mistakenly wanting to silence them.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, TIME, 4 Feb. 2025
But because of the self-serving cowardice of Republican representatives and senators, he is not being called out on it.
—Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cowardice
Cite this Entry
“Cowardice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cowardice. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cowardice
noun
cow·ard·ice
ˈkau̇(-ə)rd-əs
: lack of courage to face danger : shameful fear
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