cowardice

American  

[kou-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

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

Cowardice on this scale is not a single act; it includes all the guilty silences that complicity continues to require.

From Washington Post • Feb. 17, 2020

But let’s agree about one thing, if we can: Cowardice and caution will not get it done.

From Salon • Jul. 7, 2019

From British journalist Nick Cohen’s “The Cowardice of John Le Carré” for the April issue of Standpoint magazine, a passage about the author’s “post-Cold War politics”:

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2016

“The Cowardice of Colin Powell: Is there anyone in American public life who gets so much credit for being a leader, while not truly leading?” by Nathaniel Frank.

From Slate • May 26, 2012

The conditions of his discharge were technically honorable, but unofficially they were: Cowardice, Guilt, and Disgrace.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver