coward

plural cowards

1. A person who lacks courage.

   Near-synonyms: big baby, baby

   2 more examples

   Cowards dye many times before their deaths, / The valiant neuer taſte of death but once: […]

   c. 1599, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Ivlivs Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies, London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, act II, scene ii, page 117, column 1

   1856: Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary, Part II Chapter IV, translated by Eleanor Marx-Aveling He tortured himself to find out how he could make his declaration to her, and always halting between the fear of displeasing her and the shame of being such a coward, he wept with discouragement and desire. Then he took energetic resolutions, wrote letters that he tore up, put it off to times that he again deferred.

   Synonyms: chicken, pullet, scaredy pants, yellowbelly, big baby, baby, bottler, caitiff

comparative more coward · superlative most coward

1. Cowardly.

   c. 1605, William Shakespeare, King Lear, Act II, Scene 4, He rais’d the house with loud and coward cries.

   2 more examples

   It is a coward and servile humour, for a man to disguise and hide himselfe under a maske, and not dare to shew himselfe as he is.

   1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 17, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC

   Invading Fears repel my Coward Joy; And Ills foreseen the pleasant Bliss destroy.

   1709, Matthew Prior, “Celia to Damon”, in Poems on Several Occasions, 2nd edition, London: Jacob Tonson, page 89

2. governmentBorne in the escutcheon with his tail doubled between his legs.

present singular third person cowards · participle present cowarding · participle past cowarded · past cowarded

1. obsoletetransitiveTo intimidate.

   The first he coped with was their captain, whom / His sword sent headless to seek out a tomb. / This cowarded the valour of the rest, […]

   1820, John Chalkhill, Thealma and Clearchus

1. A surname originating as an occupation.
2. A town in Florence County, South Carolina, United States.