coward
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Related to Cowards: cowardice
coward
a person who lacks courage; very fearful or timid; craven; dastard: She was too much of a coward to go out after dark.
Not to be confused with:
cowered – cringed, recoiled, crouched as in fear: The puppy cowered in the corner.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
cow·ard
(kou′ərd)n.
One who shows ignoble fear in the face of danger or pain.
[Middle English, from Old French couard, from coue, tail, from Latin cauda.]
cow′ard adj.
Word History: A coward is one who "turns tail." The word comes from Old French couart, coart, "coward," and is related to Italian codardo, "coward." Couart is formed from coe, a northern French dialectal variant of cue, "tail" (from Latin cōda), to which the derogatory suffix -ard was added. This suffix appears in bastard, laggard, and sluggard, to name a few. In heraldry a lion couard, "cowardly lion," was depicted with his tail between his legs. So a coward may be one with his tail hidden between his legs or one who turns tail and runs like a rabbit, with his tail showing.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
coward
(ˈkaʊəd)n
a person who shrinks from or avoids danger, pain, or difficulty
[C13: from Old French cuard, from coue tail, from Latin cauda; perhaps suggestive of a frightened animal with its tail between its legs]
Coward
(ˈkaʊəd)n
(Biography) Sir Noël (Pierce). 1899–1973, English dramatist, actor, and composer, noted for his sophisticated comedies, which include Private Lives (1930) and Blithe Spirit (1941)
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
cow•ard
(ˈkaʊ ərd)n.
1. a person who shows shameful lack of courage or fortitude.
adj. 2. of or pertaining to a coward.
[1175–1225; Middle English < Old French couard-, couart cowardly, derivative of coue tail < Latin cauda]
Cow•ard
(ˈkaʊ ərd)n.
Noel, 1899–1973, English playwright.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  coward - a person who shows fear or timidityindividual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul - a human being; "there was too much for one person to do" cur - a cowardly and despicable person dastard - a despicable coward shrinking violet, shy person - someone who shrinks from familiarity with others |
| 2. | Coward - English dramatist and actor and composer noted for his witty and sophisticated comedies (1899-1973) |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
coward
noun wimp, chicken (slang), scaredy-cat (informal), sneak, funk (informal), craven (informal), pussy (slang, chiefly U.S.), yellow-belly (slang), poltroon The man's just a lily-livered coward.
Quotations
"Cowards die many times before their deaths" [William Shakespeare Julius Caesar]
"coward: one who in a perilous emergency thinks with his legs" [Ambrose Bierce The Devil's Dictionary]
"May coward shame distain his name,"
"The wretch that dares not die!" [Robert Burns McPherson's Farewell]
"All men would be cowards if they durst" [John Wilmot A Satire against Mankind]
"Cowards die many times before their deaths" [William Shakespeare Julius Caesar]
"coward: one who in a perilous emergency thinks with his legs" [Ambrose Bierce The Devil's Dictionary]
"May coward shame distain his name,"
"The wretch that dares not die!" [Robert Burns McPherson's Farewell]
"All men would be cowards if they durst" [John Wilmot A Satire against Mankind]
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
coward
nounThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
جَبانجَبَان
zbabělec
bangebukskujon
pelkuri
kukavica
gyáva
hugleysingi
臆病者
겁쟁이
bailumas
ģļēvulis
strahopetec
fegismes
คนขี้ขลาด
người nhút nhát
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
coward
n → Feigling m
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
coward
[ˈkaʊəd] n → vigliacco/aCollins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
coward
(ˈkauəd) noun a person who shows fear easily or is easily frightened. I am such a coward – I hate going to the dentist.
ˈcowardly adjectiveˈcowardice (-dis) noun
ˈcowardliness noun
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
coward
→ جَبَان zbabělec kujon Feigling δειλός cobarde pelkuri lâche kukavica codardo 臆病者 겁쟁이 lafaard feiging tchórz covarde трус fegis คนขี้ขลาด korkak người nhút nhát 胆小鬼Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
coward
a. cobarde, pusilánime.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012