Dictionary

cowardice en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈkaʊə(ɹ)daɪs/ (dialectal)
• /ˈkaʊɚdɪs/ (General-American)
• /ˈkaʊədɪs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English cowardise, borrowed from Anglo-Norman cuardise (modern French couardise).

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) Lack of courage.
   • [Ilhan] Omar was left twisting in the wind earlier this year after facing spurious charges of antisemitism, a display of Democratic cowardice co-signed by Chelsea Clinton, Chuck Schumer, and most every other Democrat with a congressional leadership position. 2019 July 19, Noah Kulwin, “Democrats Fail the Left, Once Again”, in Jewish Currents, archived from the original on 08 Mar 2023:
   • The ſecond property of your excellent ſherris, is the vvarming of the blood, vvhich before (cold & ſetled) left the lyuer vvhite & pale, vvhich is the badge of puſilanimitie and covvardize: but the ſherris vvarmes it, and makes it courſe from the invvards to the partes extreames, […] c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Second Part of Henrie the Fourth, […], quarto edition, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Andrew Wise, and William Aspley, published 1600, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:
   • Jem’s head at times was transparent: he had thought that up to make me understand he wasn’t afraid of Radleys in any shape or form, to contrast his own fearless heroism with my cowardice. 1960 July 11, Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, Philadelphia, Pa.; New York, N.Y.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott Company, →OCLC:

Forms

Antonyms

temerity · courage · courage

Hypernyms

lack

Relateds

cowardly · coward · afraid · shy

Synonyms

pusillanimity · chicken-heartedness · cowardice · cowardship · fearfulness · cowardness · cowardliness · cowardliness · hen-heartedness · poltroonery

Translations (131)

it viltà (the lack of courage) · non hugbleyði (the lack of courage) · sh кукавѝчлук (the lack of courage) · ro lașitate (the lack of courage) · tl kaduwagan (the lack of courage) · ml ഭീരുത്വം (the lack of courage) · ar جَبَانَة (the lack of courage) · be маладу́шнасць (the lack of courage) · bg малоду́шие (the lack of courage) · da fejhed (the lack of courage) · ro poltronerie (the lack of courage) · ky жүрөксүздүк (the lack of courage) · tr korkaklık (the lack of courage) · es cobardía (the lack of courage) · sh пла̀шљиво̄ст (the lack of courage) · pt covardia (the lack of courage) · io poltroneso (the lack of courage) · hi बुज़दिली (the lack of courage) · nn feigskap (the lack of courage) · non geitarhugr (the lack of courage) · non ragmennska (the lack of courage) · mk кукавичлук (the lack of courage) · non bleyði (the lack of courage) · hi कायरता (the lack of courage) · sh stràšljivōst (the lack of courage) · az qorxaqlıq (the lack of courage) · sl boječnost (the lack of courage) · ur بُزْدِلی (the lack of courage) · eo malkuraĝeco (the lack of courage) · cs zbabělost (the lack of courage) · it codardia (the lack of courage) · sh plàšljivōst (the lack of courage) · lt bailumas (the lack of courage) · ru боязли́вость (the lack of courage) · he פַּחְדָנוּת (the lack of courage) · tg буздилӣ (the lack of courage) · uz yuraksizlik (the lack of courage) · ug قورقۇنچاقلىق (the lack of courage) · mk плашливост (the lack of courage) · lad kagatina (the lack of courage) · cmn 膽怯 /胆怯 (the lack of courage) · kmr bêcuretî (the lack of courage) · el ανανδρία (the lack of courage) · be баязлі́васць (the lack of courage) · ru тру́сость (the lack of courage) · pl tchórzliwość (the lack of courage) · ka სიმხდალე (the lack of courage) · ja 憶病 (the lack of courage) · ru трусли́вость (the lack of courage) · fi pelkuruus (the lack of courage) · ia coardia (the lack of courage) · hu gyávaság (the lack of courage) · id kepengecutan (the lack of courage) · ilo takrot (the lack of courage) · kmr tirsonekî (the lack of courage) · ca covardia (the lack of courage) · arz جبانة (the lack of courage) · non argskapr (the lack of courage) · tl karuwagan (the lack of courage) · is heigulsháttur (the lack of courage) · enm cowardie (the lack of courage) · ko 비겁 (the lack of courage) · enm cowardnesse (the lack of courage) · de Ängstlichkeit (the lack of courage) · ota طبانسزلق (the lack of courage) · non regi (the lack of courage) · nl lafheid (the lack of courage) · hy երկչոտություն (the lack of courage) · cmn 怯懦 (the lack of courage) · de Kleinmut (the lack of courage) · kk қорқақтық (the lack of courage) · hy վախկոտություն (the lack of courage) · tg тарсончакӣ (the lack of courage) · gd cladhaireachd (the lack of courage) · pl bojaźliwość (the lack of courage) · enm cowardise (the lack of courage) · uk малоду́шність (the lack of courage) · ky коркоктук (the lack of courage) · is gunguskapur (the lack of courage) · tt куркаклык (the lack of courage) · ur نامردی (the lack of courage) · kmr newêrekî (the lack of courage) · bg страхли́вост (the lack of courage) · ota یوركسزلك (the lack of courage) · sv feghet (the lack of courage) · sk zbabelosť (the lack of courage) · rif tiggʷdi (the lack of courage) · is ragmennska (the lack of courage) · kk жүрексіздік (the lack of courage) · sh стра̀шљиво̄ст (the lack of courage) · non ragskapr (the lack of courage) · it vigliaccheria (the lack of courage) · sh боја̀жљиво̄ст (the lack of courage) · kmr bêcesaretî (the lack of courage) · grc δειλίᾱ (the lack of courage) · lv gļēvulība (the lack of courage) · non klæki (the lack of courage) · fr couardise (the lack of courage) · grc ἀνανδρίᾱ (the lack of courage) · uz qoʻrqoqlik (the lack of courage) · lad kagadero (the lack of courage) · gl covardía (the lack of courage) · ceb katalawan (the lack of courage) · be палахлі́васць (the lack of courage) · de Feigheit (the lack of courage) · nb feighet (the lack of courage) · kmr tirsokî (the lack of courage) · sh bojàžljivōst (the lack of courage) · vi tính nhút nhát (the lack of courage) · is bleyði (the lack of courage) · io deskurajo (the lack of courage) · sl strahopetnost (the lack of courage) · fa بزدلی (the lack of courage) · vo dredöf (the lack of courage) · el δειλία (the lack of courage) · sh kukavìčluk (the lack of courage) · it pusillanimità (the lack of courage) · la īgnāvia (the lack of courage) · ang ierġþ (the lack of courage) · et argus (the lack of courage) · th ความขี้ขลาด (the lack of courage) · ivv katahaw (the lack of courage) · fr lâcheté (the lack of courage) · pl tchórzostwo (the lack of courage) · te పిరికితనము (the lack of courage) · ru бзде́ние (the lack of courage) · ru малоду́шие (the lack of courage) · tk gorkaklyk (the lack of courage) · be тру́сасць (the lack of courage) · ja 卑怯 (the lack of courage) · uk боягу́зтво (the lack of courage)