as in craven
a person who shows a shameful lack of courage in the face of danger
the soldiers who ran as soon as the first shots were fired were branded as cowards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in cowardly
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 coward
Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 20 Nov. 2024
Numerous water bottles flew down toward the Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. from the right-field corner stands, the gutless moves of many cowards.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2024
Don't stand there like a coward, come here and say it.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
Don’t stand there like a coward, come here and say it.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for coward 
Noun
This sick, twisted and evil coward showed no regard for Laken or human life.
—Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 20 Nov. 2024
Numerous water bottles flew down toward the Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. from the right-field corner stands, the gutless moves of many cowards.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2024
Don't stand there like a coward, come here and say it.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
Don’t stand there like a coward, come here and say it.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for coward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coward
Adjective
-
Instead, the anti-death penalty interests in this country conduct their arguments in insidious and even cowardly ways, all in effort to avoid a clear yes or no debate about the death penalty itself.—
Benedict Cosgrove,
Newsweek,
18 Dec. 2024
-
Social media has erupted with praise for this cowardly attack.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
17 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Last week, a poultry plant in Georgia had to shut down after multiple chickens tested positive.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2025
-
Topics include: chicken breeds, raising chicks, designing coops and pens, and chicken health and nutrition.—
Joe Rassel,
Orlando Sentinel,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
And the really jaw-dropping part of AMLO’s gutless abdication?—
Tim Padgett,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Aug. 2024
-
Two baseballs flew down toward the San Diego Padres’ Jurickson Profar from the left-field corner stands, the gutless moves of two cowards.—
Bill Plaschke,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
Mark Kelly Americans who are rightfully appalled by the pusillanimous response to anti-Semitism on college campuses have been pulling their donations and calling for restrictions on anti-Israel student groups.—
Arthur Levitt,
WSJ,
12 Nov. 2023
-
Those clumsy tales revealed Chazelle’s pusillanimous career ambitions.—
Armond White,
National Review,
13 Jan. 2023
Adjective
-
Between the lines: One view is that these actions are simply craven pandering.—
Felix Salmon,
Axios,
13 Jan. 2025
-
The main one is that the powerbrokers in the MLB offices are craven, and their souls have been replaced with line graphs going up and up and up.—
Grant Brisbee,
The Athletic,
18 July 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near coward
Cite this Entry
“Coward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coward. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share