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Cowardly synonyms

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timorous
Showing or caused by timidity
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  1. Showing or caused by timidity
  2. Full of or subject to fear; timid
timid
Easily frightened; lacking self-confidence; shy; timorous
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  1. Easily frightened; lacking self-confidence; shy; timorous
  2. Fearful and hesitant:
  3. Lacking self-confidence; shy.
frightened
Filled with fright; terrified
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  1. Filled with fright; terrified
afraid
Filled with fear; frightened:
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  1. Filled with fear; frightened:
  2. Filled with regret or concern. Used especially to soften an unpleasant statement:
  3. Having feelings of aversion or unwillingness in regard to something:
fearful
Extreme, as in degree or extent. Used especially of something negative:
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  1. Extreme, as in degree or extent. Used especially of something negative:
  2. Feeling fear; afraid
  3. Inclined to feel anxiety or apprehension; timid; nervous.
shy
Characterized by reserve or diffidence:
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  1. Characterized by reserve or diffidence:
  2. Distrustful; wary:
  3. Easily startled; timid:
diffident
Lacking or marked by a lack of self-confidence; shy and timid:
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  1. Lacking or marked by a lack of self-confidence; shy and timid:
  2. Full of diffidence; lacking self-confidence; timid; shy
backward
Pertaining to a thought or value that is considered outdated.
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  1. Pertaining to a thought or value that is considered outdated.
  2. Behind others in progress or development:
  3. Done or arranged in a manner or order that is opposite to previous occurrence or normal use.
retiring
Drawing back from contact with others, from publicity, etc.; reserved; shy
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  1. Drawing back from contact with others, from publicity, etc.; reserved; shy
  2. Shy and reserved; modest.
  3. Shy, introverted, liking privacy.
apprehensive
Able or quick to apprehend or understand
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  1. Able or quick to apprehend or understand
  2. Anxious or fearful about the future; uneasy:
  3. Anxious or fearful about the future; uneasy
nervous
Characterized by or showing emotional tension, restlessness, agitation, etc.
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  1. Characterized by or showing emotional tension, restlessness, agitation, etc.
  2. Vigorous in style or feeling; spirited:
  3. Marked by or having a feeling of unease or apprehension:
anxious
Eagerly wishing
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  1. Eagerly wishing
  2. Attended with, showing, or causing anxiety:
  3. Uneasy and apprehensive about an uncertain event or matter; worried.
dismayed
Having the emotion of dismay.
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  1. Having the emotion of dismay.
panicky
In a state of panic.
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  1. In a state of panic.
scary
Easily scared; very timid.
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  1. Easily scared; very timid.
  2. Causing, or able to cause, fright
  3. (US, colloquial, dated) Subject to sudden alarm; nervous, jumpy.
jittery
Nervy, jumpy, on edge
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  1. Nervy, jumpy, on edge
  2. Marked by jittering movements:
  3. Having or feeling nervous unease:
chicken
Small and tender
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  1. Small and tender
  2. (Mil. Slang) Characterized by unnecessary discipline or pettiness
  3. Afraid; cowardly.
chicken-hearted
Cowardly; timid
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  1. Cowardly; timid
  2. Alternative form of chicken-hearted.
  3. Not brave; lacking courage; cowardly
lily-livered
Cowardly; timid
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  1. Cowardly; timid
yellow
Changed to a yellowish color as by age, as old paper
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  1. Changed to a yellowish color as by age, as old paper
  2. Having a yellow-brown skin color.
  3. Of the color yellow.
yellow-bellied
(Figuratively) Uncourageous, cowardly.
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  1. (Figuratively) Uncourageous, cowardly.
  2. Having a belly that is yellow or yellowish. Used of certain birds, for example.
  3. Of an animal or reptile having a yellow underside or belly.
pusillanimous
Timid, cowardly, or irresolute; fainthearted
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  1. Timid, cowardly, or irresolute; fainthearted
  2. Lacking courage; cowardly.
  3. Proceeding from or showing a lack of courage
craven
Very cowardly; abjectly afraid
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  1. Very cowardly; abjectly afraid
  2. Characterized by abject fear; cowardly.
dastardly
Of or like a dastard; mean and cowardly
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  1. Of or like a dastard; mean and cowardly
  2. In the manner of a dastard; marked by cowardice; pusillanimous
  3. Cowardly and malicious; base.
recreant
Failing to keep faith; disloyal; traitorous
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  1. Failing to keep faith; disloyal; traitorous
  2. (Now poetic, literary) Unfaithful to someone, or to one's duties or honour; disloyal, false. [from 17th c.]
  3. Unfaithful or disloyal to a belief, duty, or cause:
poor-spirited
Having or showing a poor spirit; cowardly; timorous; abject
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  1. Having or showing a poor spirit; cowardly; timorous; abject
mean-spirited
Characterized by or displaying a propensity to be mean; selfish, malicious, etc.
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  1. Characterized by or displaying a propensity to be mean; selfish, malicious, etc.
  2. Having or characterized by a malicious or petty spirit.
weak
Lacking in strength of material or construction; unable to resist strain, pressure, etc.; easily torn, broken, bent, etc.
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  1. Lacking in strength of material or construction; unable to resist strain, pressure, etc.; easily torn, broken, bent, etc.
  2. (Gram.) Expressing variation in tense by the addition of an inflectional suffix rather than by internal change of a syllabic vowel; regular (Ex.: talk, talked, talked)
  3. Lacking intensity or strength; faint:
base
Forming a base
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  1. Forming a base
  2. Forming or serving as a base:
  3. Containing such metals:
soft
(--- Sports) Not tense and therefore capable of absorbing the impact of a ball or puck and of catching, receiving, or controlling it:
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  1. (--- Sports) Not tense and therefore capable of absorbing the impact of a ball or puck and of catching, receiving, or controlling it:
  2. Gradually declining in trend; not firm:
  3. Not sharply drawn or delineated:
unmanly
Uncharacteristic of, unbecoming to, or degrading to a man, especially in not conforming to stereotypical masculine traits such as stoicism and independence.
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  1. Uncharacteristic of, unbecoming to, or degrading to a man, especially in not conforming to stereotypical masculine traits such as stoicism and independence.
  2. (Of a behaviour or action) Cowardly, base.
  3. Lacking courage, resoluteness, etc.; cowardly, weak, etc.
irresolute
Unsure of how to act or proceed; undecided.
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  1. Unsure of how to act or proceed; undecided.
  2. Indecisive or lacking in resolution
  3. Not resolute; wavering in decision, purpose, or opinion; indecisive; vacillating
spineless
Without spines, or thorny processes
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  1. Without spines, or thorny processes
  2. Lacking courage, resistance, willpower, etc.
  3. Having a weak or flexible backbone
gutless
Lacking courage or drive.
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  1. Lacking courage or drive.
  2. (Informal) Lacking courage, daring, perseverance, etc.
  3. Lacking substance; weak or insignificant.
wimpy
Having the characteristics of a wimp; feeble, indecisive, cowardly.
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  1. Having the characteristics of a wimp; feeble, indecisive, cowardly.
wimpish
Characteristic of a wimp
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  1. Characteristic of a wimp
sneaking
Acting in a stealthy, furtive way.
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  1. Acting in a stealthy, furtive way.
  2. Not admitted or made known to others; secret
  3. Gradually growing or persistent:
shaky
(Of wood) Full of shakes or cracks; cracked.
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  1. (Of wood) Full of shakes or cracks; cracked.
  2. Shaking or trembling.
  3. Nervous; Anxious.
running
Flowing; easy; cursive.
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  1. Flowing; easy; cursive.
  2. Set in continuous or unbroken lines:
  3. Moving or advancing by running.
craven
Very cowardly; abjectly afraid
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  1. Very cowardly; abjectly afraid
  2. Characterized by abject fear; cowardly.
dastardly
Of or like a dastard; mean and cowardly
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  1. Of or like a dastard; mean and cowardly
  2. In the manner of a dastard; marked by cowardice; pusillanimous
  3. Cowardly and malicious; base.
faint-hearted
Deficient in conviction or courage; timid.
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  1. Deficient in conviction or courage; timid.
lily-livered
Cowardly; timid
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  1. Cowardly; timid
pusillanimous
Timid, cowardly, or irresolute; fainthearted
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  1. Timid, cowardly, or irresolute; fainthearted
  2. Lacking courage; cowardly.
  3. Proceeding from or showing a lack of courage
unmanly
(Of a person) Showing characteristics that are not manly, such as being immature, effeminate or cowardly, which might be construed as an indicator of weakness or of baseness of character.
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  1. (Of a person) Showing characteristics that are not manly, such as being immature, effeminate or cowardly, which might be construed as an indicator of weakness or of baseness of character.
  2. Lacking courage, resoluteness, etc.; cowardly, weak, etc.
  3. (Of a behaviour or action) Cowardly, base.
chicken
(Mil. Slang) Characterized by unnecessary discipline or pettiness
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  1. (Mil. Slang) Characterized by unnecessary discipline or pettiness
  2. Made of chicken
  3. Small and tender
gutless
(Informal) cowardly; lacking courage
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  1. (Informal) cowardly; lacking courage
  2. (Informal) Lacking courage, daring, perseverance, etc.
  3. Lacking substance; weak or insignificant.
yellow
Changed to a yellowish color as by age, as old paper
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  1. Changed to a yellowish color as by age, as old paper
  2. Having a yellow-brown skin color.
  3. Of the color yellow.
yellow-bellied
(Figuratively) Uncourageous, cowardly.
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  1. (Figuratively) Uncourageous, cowardly.
  2. Having a belly that is yellow or yellowish. Used of certain birds, for example.
  3. Of an animal or reptile having a yellow underside or belly.

Synonym Study

  • Dastardly connotes a sneaking, malicious cowardice that is manifested in a despicable act a dastardly informer
  • Pusillanimous implies an ignoble, contemptible lack of courage or resolution pusillanimous submission
  • Craven implies abject or fainthearted fear a craven fear for one's life
  • Cowardly , the general term, suggests a reprehensible lack of courage in the face of danger or pain a cowardly deserter
Find another word for cowardly. In this page you can discover 81 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for cowardly, like: timorous, timid, frightened, shrinking, afraid, fearful, shy, diffident, backward, retiring and cowering.

Sentence Examples

  • He had behaved like a cowardly recruit who mutilates himself to escape military service.

  • He is cowardly in war, and on one occasion was shut up for years in a huge brazen pot.

  • And the Cowardly Lion?

  • The covering of this savage but cowardly little night-prowler is a sort of short hair, not fur.

  • The young prince alone rose to the height of the occasion, and set his face against such cowardly counsels, and he had the enthusiastic support of the great majority of the people.

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Words that mention cowardly in the Dictionary

Words near cowardly in the Thesaurus