coward
noun
cow·ard
ˈkau̇(-ə)rd 
: one who shows disgraceful fear or timidity
a coward who deserted his troops
coward
adjective
Synonyms
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
Don't stand there like a coward, come here and say it.
—
Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
Don’t stand there like a coward, come here and say it.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
He will be called a fascist and a coward and a dilettante.
—The Editors, National Review, 31 Oct. 2024
Two baseballs flew down toward the San Diego Padres’ Jurickson Profar from the left-field corner stands, the gutless moves of two cowards.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2024
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Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
Don’t stand there like a coward, come here and say it.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
He will be called a fascist and a coward and a dilettante.
—The Editors, National Review, 31 Oct. 2024
Two baseballs flew down toward the San Diego Padres’ Jurickson Profar from the left-field corner stands, the gutless moves of two cowards.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for coward
Dictionary Entries Near coward
Cite this Entry
“Coward.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coward. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
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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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