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View synonyms for

cowardly

[ kou-erd-lee ]

adjective

  1. lacking courage; contemptibly timid.

    Synonyms: , , , , , , , , , ,

    Antonyms:

  2. characteristic of or befitting a coward; despicably mean, covert, or unprincipled:

    a cowardly attack on a weak, defenseless man.



adverb

  1. like a coward.

cowardly

/ ˈ첹ʊəɪ /

adjective

  1. of or characteristic of a coward; lacking courage
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈǷɲԱ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • Ƿa··Ա noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of cowardly1

First recorded in 1325–75 cowardly fordef 3, and in 1550–60 cowardly fordef 1; Middle English adverb couardli, couarli, couherdeli, is derivative of the adjective couard coward + -ly ( def )
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Synonym Study

Cowardly, timid, timorous refer to a lack of courage or self-confidence. Cowardly means weakly or basely fearful in the presence of danger: The cowardly wretch deserted his comrades in battle. Timid means lacking in boldness or self-confidence even when there is no danger present: a timid person who stood in the way of his own advancement. Timorous suggests a timidity based on an exaggeration of dangers or on an imaginary creation of dangers: timorous as a mouse.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The timid and cowardly do have a point, though: Americans, by and large, remain horrid on the issue of treating immigrants with dignity.

From

Describing the incident as a "cowardly terror attack on tourists", Sinha wrote on X: "I assure the people that those behind this despicable attack will not go unpunished."

From

Lord Mulholland told the young killer that using a blade on someone was a "cowardly" and that it was a "lottery" if the person survived.

From

While the two political heavyweights have already worked at cross-purposes, Pritzker's omission further underscored a frustration by party leaders in Washington who Democrats across the ideological spectrum have criticized variously as feckless, uninspiring and cowardly.

From

You too are victims of his callous, cowardly, vindictive behaviours and I wish he hadn't put you through that.

From

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