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• coward
  coward

  noun

  a person who lacks courage in facing danger, difficulty, opposition, pain, etc.; a timid or easily intimidated person.
• Coward
  Coward

  noun

  Noel, 1899–1973, English playwright, author, actor, and composer.

coward

¹ American  

[kou-erd] / ˈkaʊ ərd /

noun

• cowards
  plural

1. a person who lacks courage in facing danger, difficulty, opposition, pain, etc.; a timid or easily intimidated person.

   Synonyms:

   milksop, recreant, dastard, poltroon, craven

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adjective

1. lacking courage; very fearful or timid.

2. proceeding from or expressive of fear or timidity.

   a coward cry.

Coward ² American  

[kou-erd] / ˈkaʊ ərd /

noun

1. Noel, 1899–1973, English playwright, author, actor, and composer.

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Coward ¹ British  

/ ˈkaʊəd /

noun

1. Sir Noël ( Pierce ). 1899–1973, English dramatist, actor, and composer, noted for his sophisticated comedies, which include Private Lives (1930) and Blithe Spirit (1941)

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coward ² British  

/ ˈkaʊəd /

noun

1. a person who shrinks from or avoids danger, pain, or difficulty

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• cowards
  plural

Etymology

Origin of coward

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Old French couard-, couart “cowardly,” from coue “tail” (from Latin cauda, cōda ) + -art -ard

Explanation

A coward is someone who’s afraid of doing something daring or dangerous. Skydiving might sound exciting in theory, but you might be a coward when it comes to actually jumping out of a plane. Which is probably wise. Coward comes from the Latin word couda, meaning “tail.” Have you ever seen a scared puppy with its tail between its legs? That’s what people who are cowards would be doing if they had tails. Being afraid of something dangerous might make someone a coward, but the word can also describe someone who avoids doing something difficult or unpleasant. If your boss makes his assistant deliver the unpleasant news about layoffs, you might call him a coward.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

coward Coward cowards

In Jefferson’s mind Henry was a lazy lightweight, Hamilton a monarchist and a coward, Burr an insurrectionist and Marshall an implacable foe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

But Reilly, who calls himself a coward and claims to be no hero, regards his mutant abilities as “a part of me I wish never existed. With no power, there’s no responsibility.”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 25, 2026

"Today, we won't reflect on the loss of a coward," said the Police Association of Victoria.

From Barron's ● Mar. 30, 2026

"Devenport was a coward, he has shown no remorse for his actions and throughout the investigation he has refused to admit what he did."

From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2026

Unless, of course, the strong old man rebuilding the Wallace house was the handsome young coward who had left nearly fifty years before.

From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson

Their feud has more personal roots, which Coward takes his time to reveal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Ja Morant responded with 40 points for the Grizzlies, while rookie Cedric Coward added a career-high 28 points, but the hosts fell to back-to-back defeats.

From BBC ● Dec. 31, 2025

At Memphis, Cedric Coward went 6-for-6 from three-point range and scored a game-high 27 points off the bench to lead the host Grizzlies over Indiana 128-103.

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2025

Tyler Coward, a government affairs attorney at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which defends free speech, said he found that clause troubling.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2025

“Hold up. Coward? That’s how he wrote me?”

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas

In one Novosibirsk college, a director was recorded calling students cowards for refusing to sign contracts.

From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026

Instead, like cowards, they cast around for weaker parties to victimize.

From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2026

Decades ago, people who buckled their seat belts were thought to be signaling that they were cowards, afraid of getting in a crash.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2025

Stellan Skarsgård, “Sentimental Value” “I haven’t even seen ‘Jay Kelly’ yet, but give Adam Sandler his nomination, you cowards.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2025

Contrary to popular wisdom, bullies are rarely cowards.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Related Words

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