cowardice

noun

ˈkau̇(-ə)r-dəs How to pronounce cowardice (audio)
Definition of cowardicenext
as in fearfulness
a shameful lack of courage in the face of danger the cowardice shown by political leaders who were willing to give the Nazis whatever they wanted

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of cowardice Pitaro has shown a consistent pattern of cowardice since assuming the chairman role in 2018. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026 Hannah Einbinder speaks about the cowardice of Hollywood on the Gaza genocide contrasted with Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil’s bravery. — Zack Sharf, Variety, 12 May 2026 Victor Marx won’t debate the two other Republicans on the primary ballot for Colorado governor Tuesday night, with the nonprofit leader claiming bias — and his opponents claiming cowardice. — Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 26 May 2026 Berating foreign leaders who complained about his tariffs, continuing with threats to take over Greenland and accusing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer of cowardice are just a few examples that don’t create feelings of warmth, friendship and respect. — Tom Jurkowsky, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cowardice
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cowardice
  1. pusillanimity
  2. spinelessness
Noun
  • Given the President’s long-standing support for corporate tax cuts and deregulation of industry, this pusillanimity is perhaps not so surprising.
    — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
  • Even the turbulent Vietnam era didn’t inspire such pusillanimity.
    — Matthew Hennessey, WSJ, 10 Mar. 2022
Definition of pusillanimity
Noun
  • Some protesters are there to boo and shame Benitez for her spinelessness.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025
Definition of spinelessness

Browse Nearby Words

coward
cowardice
cowardliness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cowardice.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cowardice. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on cowardice

Nglish: Translation of cowardice for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All