Cowardly definition | Dictionary.com

Synonyms

craven, dastardly, lily-livered, pusillanimous, unmanly, afraid, fainthearted, fearful, frightened, nervous, recreant, shy

More Synonyms»

Nearby Entries

Cowardly - 5 dictionary results

cow⋅ard⋅ly

[kou-erd-lee]

–adjective

1.	lacking courage; contemptibly timid.

2.	characteristic of or befitting a coward; despicably mean, covert, or unprincipled: a cowardly attack on a weak, defenseless man.

–adverb

3.	like a coward.

Origin:
1275–1325; ME (adv.); see coward, -ly

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Cite This Source

cow·ard·ly (kou'ərd-lē) Pronunciation Key
adj. Exhibiting the characteristics of a coward, particularly ignoble fear: a cowardly surrender.

cow'ard·li·ness n., cow'ard·ly adv.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

cowardly
adjective
lacking courage; ignobly timid and faint-hearted; "cowardly dogs, ye will not aid me then"- P.B.Shelley [ant: brave]

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
Cite This Source

cowardly

Brave\ (br[=a]v), a. [Compar. Braver; superl. Bravest.] [F. brave, It. or Sp. bravo, (orig.) fierce, wild, savage, prob. from. L. barbarus. See Barbarous, and cf. Bravo.]

1. Bold; courageous; daring; intrepid; -- opposed to cowardly; as, a brave man; a brave act.

2. Having any sort of superiority or excellence; -- especially such as in conspicuous. [Obs. or Archaic as applied to material things.]

Iron is a brave commodity where wood aboundeth. --Bacon.

It being a brave day, I walked to Whitehall. --Pepys.

3. Making a fine show or display. [Archaic]

Wear my dagger with the braver grace. --Shak.

For I have gold, and therefore will be brave. In silks I'll rattle it of every color. --Robert Greene.

Frog and lizard in holiday coats And turtle brave in his golden spots. --Emerson.

Syn: Courageous; gallant; daring; valiant; valorous; bold; heroic; intrepid; fearless; dauntless; magnanimous; high-spirited; stout-hearted. See Gallant.

Cowardly

Cow"ard*ly\, a. 1. Wanting courage; basely or weakly timid or fearful; pusillanimous; spiritless.

The cowardly rascals that ran from the battle. --Shak.

2. Proceeding from fear of danger or other consequences; befitting a coward; dastardly; base; as, cowardly malignity. --Macaulay.

The cowardly rashness of those who dare not look danger in the face. --Burke.

Syn: Timid; fearful; timorous; dastardly; pusillanimous; recreant; craven; faint-hearted; chicken-hearted; white-livered.