Coward (noun) refers to a person who lacks courage or acts in a way that shows fear rather than bravery. It can describe behavior or attitude rather than a fixed trait, and is often used critically. The term emphasizes avoidance of risk or danger, frequently in social or moral contexts.
"He called him a coward after he refused to defend his friend."
"The crowd booed, branding the politician a coward for dodging tough questions."
"She accused him of acting like a coward when the challenge appeared."
"In chess, a coward might retreat rather than press the attack."
Coward comes from Middle English couward, from Old North French cuert, puis later couart ‘coward, cowardly person,’ from Latin caber, cabere, meaning ‘to lie down’ or ‘to lie in wait’? The modern term coalesced in Middle English as a label for someone who lacks courage. Over time, the spelling stabilized to coward, with the sense narrowing to a person who yields to fear or acts cowardly, rather than a literal cattle guard. The earliest written records appear in medieval English texts, reflecting social judgments about bravery, honor, and the expectations placed on knights and commoners alike. The word’s evolution mirrors changes in social norms around masculinity and courage, where “coward” became a condemnatory term used to police public and private bravery, especially in conflicts, competitions, and moral duties. In contemporary usage, “coward” retains its strong evaluative charge, often appearing in literary and rhetorical contexts to critique avoidance and moral compromise, while remaining widely understood and frequently invoked in everyday discourse.
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Words that rhyme with "Coward"
-awd sounds
-aud sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Break it as two syllables with primary stress on the first: /ˈkaʊ.ɚd/ (US) or /ˈkaʊ.əd/ (UK/AU). Start with the /kaʊ/ diphthong, akin to ‘cow,’ rounding into a schwa-like /ɚ/ or /ə/ in the second syllable, then end with /d/. Keep the tongue high for /aʊ/, relax the jaw, and finish with a clear /d/. Listen to native pronunciation to compare variations.
Common errors: mispronouncing the diphthong as a pure /a/ or /ɑː/ (say /kaʊ/ instead of a true /aʊ/); dropping or misplacing the /ɚ/ as a pure /ə/ or conflating it with /ɜː/; not releasing the final /d/ or adding an extra syllable. Corrective tips: practice /kaʊ/ as a single pitch glide, keep the second syllable lax but distinct with a brief /ɚ/ before /d/, and practice linking the words without extra syllables in fluent speech.
US: strong first syllable stress with /ɚ/ as a rhotacized schwa before /d/; UK/AU: /ˈkaʊ.əd/ with a reduced rhotic quality and slightly shorter /ɪ/ or /ə/ in the second syllable depending on speaker. Australian often speeds through the second syllable and may reduce /ə/ closer to /ɐ/; rhoticity is variable but less pronounced. Tailor intonation to your target region by listening to native models.
The difficulty lies in the /aʊ/ diphthong, which requires a rapid tongue height transition from /a/ to /ʊ/ while maintaining mouth openness; and the second syllable’s vowel, which can shift toward a reduced /ə/ or a rhotacized /ɚ/ depending on accent. The final /d/ should be clean and not devoiced or merged with the prevocalic vowel. Focused practice with minimal pairs helps stabilize the sequence.
In careful speech, /kaʊ/ blends as a single, smooth diphthong rather than two separate syllables; the /ɚ/ or /ə/ in the second syllable is lightly reduced in many dialects. The /d/ is a distinct ending. In careful articulation, you hear /kaʊ/ as one unit followed by a short, unstressed second syllable with a clear /d/ at the end. This separation helps avoid merging into 'cowardly' or 'cow-erd'.
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