# coward

/ˈkaʊɝd/ (US) · /kˈaʊəd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/coward
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 2. lacking courage

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary

showing a lack of courage; afraid.

For teachers: displaying a lack of courage. While 'cowardly' is the standard adjective form, 'coward' is occasionally used attributively in literary contexts.

- The king was tired of his coward advisors who always wanted to run away.
- The poet described the coward heart that trembles at the mere thought of conflict.

### 3. heraldry

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical · Archaic

a term used in old family symbols to describe an animal shown with its tail between its legs.

For teachers: describing an animal, typically a lion, depicted in heraldry with its tail doubled between its hind legs. This is a highly specific technical term.

- The family shield featured a lion coward, representing a specific historical event.
- The heraldic description specified a lion coward, a rare charge that distinguished this branch of the nobility from their more aggressive cousins.

## Examples

- He felt like a coward for not telling the truth.
- The soldier was branded a coward by his peers after he abandoned his post during the night.
- History often remembers those who stood their ground, while the coward is relegated to the margins, serving only as a cautionary tale about the consequences of fear over principle.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.