coward
noun
cow·ard ˈkau̇(-ə)rd 
: one who shows disgraceful fear or timidity
a coward who deserted his troops
coward adjective
Examples of coward in a Sentence
a proven coward who had deserted his troops the soldiers who ran as soon as the first shots were fired were branded as cowards
Recent Examples on the Web
Time constraints once again strike here, but there’s also the fact that the movie drops the plot’s true twist — that Grace is a coward — only a few minutes before. —
Matthew Razak, Space.com, 23 Mar. 2026 John Cornyn is a coward who has refused to support abolishing the filibuster to pass this bill. —Jack Fink, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026 John Cornyn is a coward who has refused to support abolishing the filibuster to pass this bill. —Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2026 Parties aside, the majority of our legislators are cowards. —Sam Meas, Boston Herald, 2 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for coward
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Matthew Razak, Space.com, 23 Mar. 2026 John Cornyn is a coward who has refused to support abolishing the filibuster to pass this bill. —Jack Fink, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2026 John Cornyn is a coward who has refused to support abolishing the filibuster to pass this bill. —Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2026 Parties aside, the majority of our legislators are cowards. —Sam Meas, Boston Herald, 2 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for coward
Cite this Entry
“Coward.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/coward. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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Etymology
Middle English coward "coward," from early French cuard "coward," from cue, coe "tail," from Latin cauda "tail" — related to coda, cue entry 2, queue see Word History at queue
Word Origin
A frightened animal may put its tail between its hind legs, and if it is very frightened it may run away. In an animal like the hare, the white flash of the fleeing tail is especially obvious. This action gives us the phrase turn tail, meaning "to run away, flee." But even tailless animals like people can turn tail and run when frightened. It is in the "tail end" of an army that you might expect to find the cowards. We do not know whether the word coward developed from the idea of an animal's tail or an army's, but we do know the word comes from an early French word that meant "tail."
Biographical Definition
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