coward
A person who is not brave.
A person who is easily frightened and avoids danger, pain, or difficult situations because they lack courage.
A person who does not do the right thing because they are afraid.
A person who avoids doing what they believe is right or necessary because it is risky, unpleasant, or might bring criticism.
An insult for someone who is not brave.
A strongly critical word used to insult someone as lacking courage or confidence.
Not brave (rare use; usually say cowardly).
Cowardly; showing a lack of courage (now rare except in fixed or literary uses).
- Base: coward
- Plural: cowards
a coward dies a thousand deaths
1fear causes repeated suffering
Being afraid all the time makes you suffer again and again.
- He kept imagining the worst outcomes—like the saying goes, a coward dies a thousand deaths.
- She repeated the proverb, arguing that fear can be more painful than the event itself.
coward at heart
1secretly not brave inside
Not brave inside, even if you look brave.
- He acts tough online, but he’s a coward at heart.
- They said the bully was a coward at heart.
- He is a coward at heart.
coward punch
1sudden punch without warning
A surprise punch when the other person isn’t ready.
- The court heard that the victim was hit with a coward punch from behind.
- Security footage showed a man throwing a coward punch outside the bar.
coward's way out
1easy but shameful escape
A way to escape a problem that people think is shameful.
- Walking away without an explanation felt like the coward’s way out.
- He said quitting before the deadline would be the coward’s way out.
- Some people use the phrase to criticize suicide, which can be hurtful.
- Don’t take the coward’s way out.
he's no coward. / she's no coward.
1said to mean very brave
This person is brave.
- She’s no coward—she’ll tell them exactly what she thinks.
- He’s no coward, but he also knows when to back off.
- Don’t worry about him; he’s no coward.
- He is no coward.