coward

Meaning

Noun

A person who lacks courage.

Adj

1. Cowardly.
2. Borne in the escutcheon with his tail doubled between his legs.

Verb

To intimidate.

Synonyms

chicken

🐔

craven

timid

weakling

cowardly

fearful

😨

chicken-hearted

recreant

poltroon

funk

wimp

weak person

scaredy-cat

timid person

milksop

weak

afraid

harmless

faint-hearted

pusillanimous

skunk

🦨

timorous

sook

worthless person

fearful person

yellow

loser

mealymouthed

milquetoast

piker

refresh

rogue

scared

sentimental

sheepish

shy

sissy

skittish

skulker

spiritless

squib

timidity

unmanly

weak-hearted

white livered

wretch

wuss

yellow-bellied

yellow-belly

chicken hearted

quaker

timid creature

shy person

chicken-shit

2

be cowardly

cowardly woman

mean contemptible fellow

easily scared

Milquetoast

chicken-liver

cow-baby

3

skilful thief

weak kneed

boggler

lily livered

nancy pants

quakebuttock

bashful

bum

caitiff

cissy

crybaby

cur

dastard

dastardly

disappointed

😞

dishonest

dull

feeble

fool

frail

frightened

good for nothing

good-for-nothing

gutless

homosexual

ignominious

infamous

inglorious

knavish

ladybird

listless

Hyphenated as

co‧ward

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈkaʊəd/

Etymology

From Middle English coward, from Old French coart, cuard ( > French couard), from coue (“tail”), coe + -ard (pejorative agent noun suffix); coue, coe is in turn from Latin cauda. The reference seems to be to an animal “turning tail”, or having its tail between its legs, especially a dog. Compare the expression tail between one's legs. Unrelated to English cower. Displaced native Old English earg (surviving in northern dialect English argh).