coward

A coward is a person who loses courage in the face of danger. It’s also a person who harms innocent people or attacks someone without warning.

• The man who killed innocent people at a nightclub was a coward.
• His family has to live with the knowledge that he was a coward.
• The young men who left their country without fighting for it were called cowards.
• The cowards brought dishonor to their people and their nation.
• The coward ran from the fight with his tail between his legs. (tail between one’s legs = This is an expression. It’s a reference to a dog that runs away in fear.)
• The children on the playground called the boy a coward because he backed away from a fight.

The word "cowardly" is an adjective. This is unusual because an "ly" ending usually goes at the end of an adverb.

• The cowardly and unprovoked attacks on the soccer fans were broadcast on television.
• It was a cowardly act to raid the village in the middle of the night.
• The Cowardly Lion, a character in the Wizard of Oz, is afraid of just about everything.

The word "cowardice" is a noun:

• The man who committed the crime was condemned for his cowardice.
• The men of the region have a reputation for cowardice.

The young man was condemned for his cowardice.

Note: This is a word often used when describing a man’s behavior, but it can be applied to women as well. The expectations for men and women are different when it comes to fighting. Also, a woman is much less likely to attack or kill compared to man. Statistics and facts bear this out as truth.

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June 13, 2016