cowardice
gb/kˈaʊɚdɪs/ us/kˈaʊɚdɪs/
C1
English
~ 7900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
C1
property
1
lack of courage or bravery
A state of being too afraid to do something difficult, dangerous, or morally right, when courage is needed.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s cowardice in [doing something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"a cowardice"* as if it were a countable noun; in most uses, "cowardice" is uncountable and used without "a". They may also confuse "cowardice" (noun) with "cowardly" (adjective), saying *"his cowardly"* instead of "his cowardice" or *"a cowardice man"* instead of "a cowardly man". Another mistake is using "cowardness", which is non-standard; the correct noun is "cowardice".
Synonyms
lack of courage (Neutral descriptive phrase; less judgmental and emotionally loaded than "cowardice".)
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timidity (Suggests shyness or nervousness more than moral failure; generally softer than "cowardice".)
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spinelessness (Informal and strongly negative; emphasizes weakness of character more than fear itself.)
Antonyms
courage (General positive quality of facing danger or difficulty without giving in to fear.)
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bravery (Stresses bold and impressive action in dangerous or frightening situations.)
Collocations
act of cowardice
|sheer cowardice
|moral cowardice
|accused of cowardice
|cowardice in the face of [danger]
Themes
emotions
|character
|morality
|social
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He refused to defend his colleague and later admitted that it was pure cowardice.
- The general was accused of cowardice for abandoning his troops during the battle.
- Her silence in the meeting was seen as moral cowardice, not politeness.
- They called it cowardice to run away instead of helping the injured man.
- The government’s failure to act was criticized as political cowardice.
Learner examples
- He did not speak up, and he hated his own cowardice.
- Many people saw his escape from the fight as cowardice.
- She felt that staying quiet was an act of cowardice.
- The leader showed cowardice when he left his team alone in danger.
- Some called his decision not to testify simple cowardice.
Grammar
Dictionary form
cowardice
IPA
GB/kˈaʊɚdɪs/
US/kˈaʊɚdɪs/
Syllables & stress
cow - ardice (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (cow)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: cowardice
- Plural: cowardice
Word family
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.