coward
noun
a person who lacks courage in facing danger, difficulty, opposition, pain, etc.; a timid or easily intimidated person.
coward
1 American
[kou-erd]
/ ˈkaʊ ərd /
noun
-
cowards
plural
adjective
-
lacking courage; very fearful or timid.
-
proceeding from or expressive of fear or timidity.
a coward cry.
Coward
2
American
[kou-erd]
/ ˈkaʊ ərd /
noun
Coward
1
British
/ ˈkaʊəd /
noun
coward
2
British
/ ˈkaʊəd /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing coward
Words from Shakespearean Insults
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Excerpts from "The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“We wanted everyone to see what a complete and utter coward he is once you remove his powers, pretty much like every autocrat and strongman,” Kripke says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
"Today, we won't reflect on the loss of a coward," said the Police Association of Victoria.
From Barron's ● Mar. 30, 2026
He called Jamieson "a coward" who was "consumed by self-pity".
From BBC ● Jan. 12, 2026
But even while Charlie longs to recross the wine dark sea to America, he ought to take solace in Homer’s words: “No man or woman born, coward or brave, can shun his destiny.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 11, 2025
And the thought of my ma knowing what a coward her son would be one day makes me want to throw the book in the river.
From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness
Their feud has more personal roots, which Coward takes his time to reveal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
The two actresses make for a smashing comic duo in this production of the Noël Coward play about two women eager to rekindle a romance with the same French lothario.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
Baranski has previously appeared in several other Coward plays, such as Fumed Oak, Private Lives and Blithe Spirit.
From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026
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
Coward, his father said, his voice full of derision.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
"I think the other parties were cowards not to stand," said Mary Williams, who travelled to Clacton from Wales to support Farage.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
And the likeliest one is also the simplest: They’re cowards.
From Salon ● Apr. 22, 2026
She branded the culprits "cowards" who had committed an act of "treachery".
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2025
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
“I am tired of having cowards and weaklings as allies,” said Henry.
From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
