cowardice
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Middle English cowardise, borrowed from Anglo-Norman cuardise (modern French couardise).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈkaʊədɪs/
Audio (Southern England): (file)
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈkaʊɚdɪs/
- (dialectal) IPA(key): /ˈkaʊə(ɹ)daɪs/[1]
Noun
cowardice (countable and uncountable, plural cowardices)
- Lack of courage.
- Synonyms: cowardliness, cowardness, cowardship
- c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Second Part of Henrie the Fourth, […], quarto edition, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Andrew Wise, and William Aspley, published 1600, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:
- The ſecond property of your excellent ſherris, is the vvarming of the blood, vvhich before (cold & ſetled) left the lyuer vvhite & pale, vvhich is the badge of puſilanimitie and covvardize: but the ſherris vvarmes it, and makes it courſe from the invvards to the partes extreames, […]
- 2019 July 19, Noah Kulwin, “Democrats Fail the Left, Once Again”, in Jewish Currents:
- [Ilhan] Omar was left twisting in the wind earlier this year after facing spurious charges of antisemitism, a display of Democratic cowardice co-signed by Chelsea Clinton, Chuck Schumer, and most every other Democrat with a congressional leadership position.
Related terms
Translations
the lack of courage
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References
- Stanley, Oma (1937) “I. Vowel Sounds in Stressed Syllables”, in The Speech of East Texas (American Speech: Reprints and Monographs; 2), New York: Columbia University Press, , →ISBN, § 15, page 29.
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