cowardly
gb/kˈaʊɚdli/ us/kˈaʊɚdli/
B2
English
~ 7300
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
lacking courage or bravery
Not brave; too afraid to do something that is difficult, dangerous, or needed.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is cowardly
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "cowardly" with "cautious". "Cowardly" is negative and means someone is too afraid to do what is right or necessary, while "cautious" is usually neutral or positive and means careful to avoid danger. Learners also mix up the noun and adjective, saying *"he is a cowardly"* instead of "he is a coward" or "he is cowardly."
Synonyms
timid (Suggests shyness or nervousness more than moral weakness.)
|
spineless (Stronger insult, focuses on complete lack of moral strength.)
|
craven (Formal and strong; emphasizes shameful lack of courage.)
Antonyms
brave (General opposite; willing to face danger or difficulty.)
|
courageous (Slightly more formal; stresses moral or physical courage.)
Collocations
too cowardly to [verb]
|cowardly behavior
|cowardly person
|cowardly and weak
|call [someone] cowardly
Themes
emotions
|personality
|social_judgment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He was too cowardly to stand up to his boss.
- They called her cowardly for walking away instead of defending her friend.
- I felt cowardly for staying silent when I knew the decision was wrong.
- Stop being so cowardly and tell him what you really think.
- The politician was criticized as cowardly for avoiding the hard choices.
Learner examples
- He is too cowardly to say no.
- She was cowardly and did not help her friend.
- I felt cowardly because I did not tell the truth.
- They think he is cowardly because he ran away.
- Do not be cowardly when you see something bad.
adjective
B2
property
2
showing cowardice in an action
Describing an action that is not brave and is seen as weak or unfair, often against people who cannot fight back.
Usage pattern:
a cowardly [action]
Common mistake:
Learners may incorrectly use "cowardly" only for people and forget it is very common with actions, especially in news reports, as in "a cowardly attack" or "a cowardly act." They may also confuse it with "secret" or "sudden"; a cowardly attack is judged as morally weak and unfair, not just unexpected.
Synonyms
despicable (Focuses on moral disgust; does not always imply fear but often overlaps in judging the act.)
|
gutless (Informal; stresses weak and fearful behavior, often used as insult.)
Antonyms
heroic (Describes brave and admirable actions, often in danger, the opposite of a cowardly act.)
|
honorable (Focuses on fairness and moral rightness, opposed to the unfairness of cowardly actions.)
Collocations
cowardly attack
|cowardly act
|cowardly murder
|cowardly assault
|cowardly bombing
Themes
conflict
|law
|social_judgment
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- It was a cowardly attack on unarmed civilians.
- Sending anonymous threats to journalists is a cowardly act.
- The bombing of the school was condemned as a cowardly terrorist act.
- Hitting someone from behind is a cowardly and shameful thing to do.
- Leaders around the world denounced the bombing as a cruel and cowardly crime.
Learner examples
- They called the shooting a cowardly attack.
- The police said it was a cowardly act against children.
- That was a cowardly thing to do to a weak old man.
- Everyone agreed that the bomb was a cowardly crime.
- The mayor spoke about the cowardly assault on the town.
Grammar
Dictionary form
cowardly
IPA
GB/kˈaʊɚdli/
US/kˈaʊɚdli/
Syllables & stress
cow - ardly (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (cow)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: cowardly
Word family
Negative and opposite forms
brave
adjective A2
courageous
adjective B2
Advanced or less common
cowardliness
noun
Expressions
cowardly act
1/kˈaʊɚdli ˈækt/
fixed phrase
an action showing cowardice
An action that shows someone is not brave and is morally weak.
Examples
- Sending hate letters to a family after their loss is a cowardly act.
- The judge called the crime a cruel and cowardly act.
cowardly attack
1/kˈaʊɚdli ətˈæk/
fixed phrase
an attack showing cowardice
An attack that people see as weak and unfair, often against innocent or unarmed people.
Examples
- The bombing of the hospital was described as a cowardly attack on innocent civilians.
- World leaders condemned the cowardly attack on the train station.