coward
noun
cow·ard
ˈkau̇(-ə)rd 
: one who shows disgraceful fear or timidity
a coward who deserted his troops
coward
adjective
Examples of coward in a Sentence
a proven coward who had deserted his troops
the soldiers who ran as soon as the first shots were fired were branded as cowards
Recent Examples on the Web
This is a cop novel that fully satisfies its genre expectations — chases, gun battles, sinister bad guys, questionable cops, cowards and heroes.
—
Claude Peck, Boston Herald, 16 Mar. 2025
If Republicans refuse to do that, then their constituents can rest assured that their representatives are cowards and liars.
—Letters To The Editor, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2025
People who didn’t know the backstory were calling her parents cowards and demanding their imprisonment.
—Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
The Real Madrid forward reportedly referred to Messi and his teammates as cowards for retreating to the dressing room after Brazilian police attacked a section of Argentine fans.
—Felipe Cardenas, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coward
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Claude Peck, Boston Herald, 16 Mar. 2025
If Republicans refuse to do that, then their constituents can rest assured that their representatives are cowards and liars.
—Letters To The Editor, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2025
People who didn’t know the backstory were calling her parents cowards and demanding their imprisonment.
—Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
The Real Madrid forward reportedly referred to Messi and his teammates as cowards for retreating to the dressing room after Brazilian police attacked a section of Argentine fans.
—Felipe Cardenas, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coward
Cite this Entry
“Coward.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coward. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
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Etymology
Middle English coward "coward," from early French cuard "coward," from cue, coe "tail," from Latin cauda "tail" — related to coda, cue entry 2, queue see Word History at queue
Word Origin
A frightened animal may put its tail between its hind legs, and if it is very frightened it may run away. In an animal like the hare, the white flash of the fleeing tail is especially obvious. This action gives us the phrase turn tail, meaning "to run away, flee." But even tailless animals like people can turn tail and run when frightened. It is in the "tail end" of an army that you might expect to find the cowards. We do not know whether the word coward developed from the idea of an animal's tail or an army's, but we do know the word comes from an early French word that meant "tail."
Biographical Definition
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