cowardly
- 01 B1 Intermediate
adj.lacking courage or being easily made afraid, especially when you should be brave.
adj.demonstrating a lack of courage or resolution when faced with danger, pain, or difficulty.
Simple“It was a cowardly act to run away and leave his friends behind.”
In context“The anonymous letters were widely condemned as a cowardly attempt to undermine the minister's reputation without facing public scrutiny.”
UsagePrimarily used as an attributive adjective before a noun or after a linking verb.
Teacher's tipLearners often mistake this for an adverb because of the -ly suffix; remind them it functions like 'friendly' or 'lovely'.
PitfallHe acted cowardly during the crisis. He acted in a cowardly way during the crisis.Although it ends in -ly, 'cowardly' is almost always an adjective. To describe an action, use 'in a cowardly way' or 'in a cowardly manner'.
- 02 C2 Proficiency
adv.doing something in a way that shows you are afraid.
adv.in the manner of a coward; exhibiting cowardice through one's actions.
Simple“The knight behaved cowardly and hid while the battle began.”
In context“He lived cowardly, ever fearful that his past indiscretions would eventually come to light.”
UsageThis adverbial use is rare in modern English; 'cowardlily' exists but is also largely obsolete.
Teacher's tipThis sense is found in period literature; advise students to use 'in a cowardly manner' for modern contexts.
SynonymsfearfullyAntonyms
From Middle English *cowardly (adjective) and cowardly (adverb), equivalent to coward + -ly. Displaced native Old English earg.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.