cowardly

1 of 2

adverb

cow·​ard·​ly ˈkau̇(-ə)rd-lē 

: in a cowardly manner

cowardly

2 of 2

adjective

: being, resembling, or befitting a coward

a cowardly retreat

cowardliness noun

Synonyms

Adjective

• chicken
• chickenhearted
• chicken-livered
• craven
• dastardly
• gutless
• lily-livered
• milk-livered [archaic]
• poltroon
• pusillanimous
• recreant
• spineless
• unheroic
• yellow

Choose the Right Synonym for cowardly

cowardly, pusillanimous, craven, dastardly mean having or showing a lack of courage.

cowardly implies a weak or ignoble lack of courage.

a cowardly failure to stand up for principle

pusillanimous suggests a contemptible lack of courage.

the pusillanimous fear of a future full of possibility

craven suggests extreme defeatism and complete lack of resistance.

secretly despised her own craven yes-men

dastardly often implies behavior that is both cowardly and treacherous or skulking or outrageous.

a dastardly attack on unarmed civilians

Examples of cowardly in a Sentence

Adjective

He insisted on avoiding a cowardly retreat.

She made a cowardly decision to go along with the group.

a cowardly attack from behind

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Their allegations do not reflect a review of the actual evidence, and are a malicious and cowardly assault on the truth. —Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 26 Dec. 2024

Jon Watts and Christopher Ford's scripts for the first three episodes had already teased the blue alien character could be the beating heart of the show, and the fourth chapter doubles down on his role as a cowardly but compassionate soul. —Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 18 Dec. 2024

Adjective

Social media has erupted with praise for this cowardly attack. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024

The cowardly cook will turn to squid as a replacement, but only cuttlefish deliver the essential alien squirm, and the relevant recipes are a treat. —Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1551, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

cowardly

adjective

cow·​ard·​ly

ˈkau̇(-ə)rd-lē

1

: lacking courage : disgracefully timid

a cowardly rascal

2

: characteristic of a coward

a cowardly attack from behind

cowardly adverb

cowardliness noun