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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in cravenly
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cowardly
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
Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 22 Feb. 2025
The tech obviously works best when someone less cowardly sings directly into the mic.
—Oskar Oprey, Artforum, 28 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cowardly
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
Bill’s smarm has calcified into a kind of mad obsession; Hal is a starkly lonely and cowardly man.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 22 Feb. 2025
The tech obviously works best when someone less cowardly sings directly into the mic.
—Oskar Oprey, Artforum, 28 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cowardly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cowardly
Adjective
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While taking your room’s layout and square footage into account, don't be afraid to think outside the box: how can your sitting room function for you?—
Shivani Vyas,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Mar. 2025
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Pay attention to your customers, listen closely, and don’t be afraid to test small, strategic changes.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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Most lawyers will be too scared of retaliation to even bring lawsuits challenging Trump’s actions.—
Ian Millhiser,
Vox,
29 Mar. 2025
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The pup, Butter, was filmed in September of last year looking scared and nervous around her new kitty sibling, keeping her distance from the feline and hiding away in her owner's arms, as if terrified of the new addition to the family.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Make no mistake: New York's seniors are paying the price for Lawler's weak and spineless leadership.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
20 Mar. 2025
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Duplass’ Michael is a dud, sorta sweet but totally spineless.—
Angie Han,
The Hollywood Reporter,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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And the really jaw-dropping part of AMLO’s gutless abdication?—
Tim Padgett,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Aug. 2024
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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
Adjective
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The family is frightened, but the soldiers aren’t there to terrorize them.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2025
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Financial markets have crashed, consumers are frightened, and deals are paralyzed.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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There was another dastardly transition during James’s Wednesday-afternoon pool party, which was attended only by the cast; Scheana’s sister, Courtney Shay; and the four guys who dropped off the BevMo order that James asked to stay to pad out the numbers.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
20 Feb. 2024
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Even despite his loss to Cody Rhodes at Royal Rumble, Owens has been doing some of the best work of his career as a former babyface-turned-heel who feels justified in recent dastardly actions.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cowardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cowardly. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.
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