cowardly

Everyday

1. Cowardly means not brave, too afraid to face danger, pain or something difficult. tree →
2. A cowardly act is mean and unfair because the person avoids risk, such as attacking someone weaker or hiding behind others. tree →

In the lessons

In stories it is a strong criticism of a character; the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz is a famous example. In lessons about fights and fear, pupils learn that walking away from a fight is not cowardly, while bullying someone smaller is. Phrases: «a cowardly act», «a cowardly attack», «a cowardly lion».

Examples

• The Cowardly Lion wanted to be brave. tree →
• Picking on a younger child is cowardly. tree →
• It was cowardly of him to blame his little brother. tree →
• Sam thought refusing to fight was cowardly, but his dad said it was wise. tree →
• The newspaper called the attack cowardly. tree →
• Sending nasty messages without a name is cowardly. tree →
• “They are the Kalidahs!” said the Cowardly Lion, beginning to tremble. tree →

Note

It looks like an adverb (ends in -ly) but it is an adjective: «a cowardly boy». From «coward» + -ly. Noun: cowardice. Opposite: brave, courageous. Trap: feeling scared is not cowardly; everyone feels fear. Courage is doing the right thing anyway.