What does cowardly mean?
Cowardly describes behavior marked by a shameful lack of courage — shrinking from danger, evading confrontation, or striking only when the victim cannot defend themselves. It functions chiefly as an adjective, characterizing acts such as a cowardly retreat or a cowardly lie, though it also serves as an adverb. Unlike simple timidity, cowardice carries strong moral condemnation: to call an action cowardly is to judge it dishonorable, which is why the word appears so often in political rhetoric and condemnations of terrorism. Its history is vivid: it descends from the Old French "couart," literally an animal with its tail between its legs, evoking the image of a frightened dog. The word belongs to a small family including the noun "coward" and "cowardice," and remains one of English's most pointed terms for moral failure under pressure.
Lacking courage; characterized by fearfulness that is regarded as shameful or dishonorable, especially when it leads one to harm others who are defenseless.
"Critics denounced the policy as a cowardly evasion of responsibility."
Most often applied to actions and conduct rather than to people directly.
In a cowardly manner; with a shameful lack of courage.
"He behaved cowardly by blaming his mistake on his assistant."
The word traces back to Old French "couart," literally meaning an animal with its tail tucked between its legs — so calling someone cowardly once meant calling them a dog with its tail down.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cowardly
Cowardly comes from the Old French "couart" or "coart" (modern French "couard"), which meant cowardly and derived from "coe," meaning tail — from the Latin "cauda." The underlying image is of a dog tucking its tail between its legs in fear. The word entered English via Norman French in the medieval period, alongside its parent noun "coward." Other descendants of Latin "cauda" include "coda" in music and the word "queue," both ultimately referring to a tail or tail-like appendage.
Related word forms
How cowardly is actually used
Strongly negative in connotation — describing something as cowardly implies moral condemnation, not merely timidity. As an adjective it typically modifies actions, attacks, excuses, and behavior rather than being applied as a static label to people, where "coward" is preferred. The adverbial use is grammatically standard but stylistically less common than the noun form.
Easily confused with cowardly
"Coward" is the noun naming a person who lacks courage, while "cowardly" describes actions or behavior that display such a lack of courage.