cowardice

American  

[kau-er-dis] / ˈkaʊ ər dɪs /

noun

1. lack of courage to face danger, difficulty, opposition, pain, etc.

   Synonyms:

   timidity, pusillanimity

   Antonyms:

   bravery

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cowardice British  

/ ˈkaʊədɪs /

noun

1. lack of courage in facing danger, pain, or difficulty

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Etymology

Origin of cowardice

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English cowardise, from Old French co(u)ardise; equivalent to coward + -ice

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Explanation

Cowardice is a lack of bravery. If you run away screaming when your Uncle Marvin shows up to the Halloween party in a clown mask, you will betray your cowardice — particularly if you're not a child. The opposite of courageousness is cowardice. For example, not standing up for someone who's being bullied shows cowardice. The origin of the words coward and cowardice has been traced to the Latin word for "tail," coda, showing a connection with a popular phrase that describes cowardice: "walking away with their tails between their legs."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cowardice

This is a sport that has not made coming out safe, where the silence is not cowardice but self-preservation.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026

I deemed this an act of maturity and self-preservation, definitely not cowardice.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026

Shami called the talks "cowardice" and said the group's fighters remained unbowed despite being squeezed by the government and Israel.

From Barron's ● Apr. 22, 2026

Abdel-Fattah, a novelist, lawyer and academic, had been invited to the festival to discuss her latest novel Discipline – which she describes as "a cautionary tale about the cost of silence and cowardice".

From BBC ● Jan. 12, 2026

After that, hounded by what happened in a Philippine jungle and the ghosts of a thousand men who didn’t escape it, his steadfast disdain for cowardice turned to obsession.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

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