cowardly

adjective
UK: /ˈkaʊərdli/
US: /ˈkaʊərdli/

  1. Lacking courage; acting in a fearful or easily intimidated way.

    1. He was too cowardly to speak up when he knew the answer.
    2. The cowardly lion finally found the courage to roar for his friends.

Synonyms

fearful timid chicken yellow spineless craven
cowardly adverb

  1. In a manner that shows a lack of courage.

    1. He acted cowardly and ran away from the big dog.
    2. She behaved cowardly by blaming someone else for her mistake.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "cowardly" is /ˈkaʊərdli/ in British English and /ˈkaʊərdli/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "cowardly": fearful, timid, chicken, yellow, spineless, craven.

Example usage of "cowardly": "He was too cowardly to speak up when he knew the answer.". More examples on the page.