cowardice

noun

cow·​ard·​ice ˈkau̇(-ə)r-dəs How to pronounce cowardice (audio)
 dialectal  -(ˌ)dīs
: lack of courage or firmness of purpose
soldiers accused of cowardice

Examples of cowardice in a Sentence

the cowardice shown by political leaders who were willing to give the Nazis whatever they wanted
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Are these companies holding back out of budgetary reasons, out of cowardice, out of political disagreement? Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 Mar. 2025 And to be clear, whipping on chains and getting a perm doesn’t make your cowardice look any more cool. John Ridley, Deadline, 21 Feb. 2025 When players try to preserve their shooting percentages by intentionally waiting for the clock to run out, Pritchard sees only cowardice. Jay King, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025 Admittedly, there’s a kind of intellectual arrogance, or moral cowardice, in holding myself apart from faith. Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cowardice

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cowardise, from Anglo-French coardise, from cuard — see coward

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cowardice was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cowardice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cowardice. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

cowardice

noun
cow·​ard·​ice ˈkau̇(-ə)rd-əs How to pronounce cowardice (audio)
: lack of courage to face danger : shameful fear

More from Merriam-Webster on cowardice

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