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# cowardice

noun (cowardice; uncountable)

«cowardice» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Cowardice is a lack of courage: being too afraid to do what is right or what is needed. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cowardice/#m1)
2. A shameful act done because of fear. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cowardice/#m2)

### In the lessons

In stories and ethics it is the opposite of bravery; it tells the reader a character let others down out of fear. Discussions note that feeling fear is not cowardice; letting fear stop you doing right can be. Phrases: «an act of cowardice», «accuse of cowardice».

### Examples

- Running away and leaving his friend was an act of cowardice. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cowardice/#x1)
- The knight was ashamed of his cowardice. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cowardice/#x2)
- It isn't cowardice to walk away from a fight. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cowardice/#x3)
- She overcame her cowardice and told the truth. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cowardice/#x4)
- Bullying a smaller child is a kind of cowardice. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cowardice/#x5)
- The soldier was accused of cowardice. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cowardice/#x6)
- That’s the worst kind of cowardice,” said the troop-horse. “Anybody can be forgiven for being scared in the night, I think, if they see things they don’t understand. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cowardice/#x7)

### Note

Uncountable. Related: «coward» (a person), «cowardly» (adjective, not an adverb: «a cowardly act»). Spelling: cowardice ends in -ice. Being sensible about danger is not cowardice.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «cowardice» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cowardice/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«cowardice» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/cowardice.html) on Mova free.