COWARDLY Synonyms: 103 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'cowardly' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of cowardly are craven , dastardly , and pusillanimous . While all these words mean "having or showing a lack of courage," cowardly implies a weak or ignoble lack of courage. // a cowardly failure to stand up for principle

Q: When would 'craven' be a good substitute for 'cowardly'?

The synonyms craven and cowardly are sometimes interchangeable, but craven suggests extreme defeatism and complete lack of resistance. // secretly despised her own craven yes-men

Q: When is it sensible to use 'dastardly' instead of 'cowardly'?

While in some cases nearly identical to cowardly , dastardly often implies behavior that is both cowardly and treacherous or skulking or outrageous. // a dastardly attack on unarmed civilians

Q: When could 'pusillanimous' be used to replace 'cowardly'?

In some situations, the words pusillanimous and cowardly are roughly equivalent. However, pusillanimous suggests a contemptible lack of courage. // the pusillanimous fear of a future full of possibility

cowardly 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of cowardly next

as in afraid

having or showing a shameful lack of courage a cowardly bully who picks on the weak and defenseless vile charges that were made in a cowardly, unsigned letter

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cowardly

2 of 2

adverb

as in cravenly

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How does the adjective cowardly differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of cowardly are craven, dastardly, and pusillanimous. While all these words mean "having or showing a lack of courage," cowardly implies a weak or ignoble lack of courage.

a cowardly failure to stand up for principle

When would craven be a good substitute for cowardly?

The synonyms craven and cowardly are sometimes interchangeable, but craven suggests extreme defeatism and complete lack of resistance.

secretly despised her own craven yes-men

When is it sensible to use dastardly instead of cowardly?

While in some cases nearly identical to cowardly, dastardly often implies behavior that is both cowardly and treacherous or skulking or outrageous.

a dastardly attack on unarmed civilians

When could pusillanimous be used to replace cowardly?

In some situations, the words pusillanimous and cowardly are roughly equivalent. However, pusillanimous suggests a contemptible lack of courage.

the pusillanimous fear of a future full of possibility

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of cowardly

Adjective

Yet if every warrior is cowardly, the battle is likely to be lost. —

John C. Goodman, Forbes, 19 Sep. 2024 Our goal is to deliver the most romantic, beautiful, mysterious, sharply funny, deeply cowardly, emotional, coming-of-age love story and older generational. —

Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Sep. 2024

Adverb

Today’s commandos fearlessly charge into battle, but ancient warriors who fought hand-to-hand with swords and axes would likely see shooting someone from a distance as cowardly. —

Paul Scharre, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2018 The blame rests on the powerful who make poor decisions, not the poor, who the cowardly use as cover. —

Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 10 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cowardly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cowardly

Adjective

Not being afraid to ask others for help was the most common answer, along with being confident.

Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 4 Nov. 2024
The resulting atmosphere of mistrust can leave immigrants afraid to report crimes or seek help in dangerous situations for fear of deportation.

Brian Bennett, TIME, 3 Nov. 2024