cowardness
RareFormal, literary, or archaic. The noun 'cowardice' is overwhelmingly preferred in modern usage.
Definition
Meaning
the quality of being a coward; lack of courage in facing danger, difficulty, or pain.
The enduring personal trait or state characterized by timidity, fearfulness, or an unwillingness to confront challenging or threatening situations. Can also refer to specific instances or displays of such behaviour.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
'Cowardness' is a largely obsolete noun formation, surviving mainly in historical texts or deliberate archaisms. It denotes a state or quality, not an action. While synonymous with 'cowardice', its use may carry a slightly more abstract or personified nuance.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant modern regional difference, as the term is obsolete in both varieties. 'Cowardice' is standard in all contexts.
Connotations
In both varieties, if used, it may sound deliberately old-fashioned, poetic, or like a lexical error.
Frequency
Extremely rare and non-standard in contemporary British and American English. Corpus data shows near-zero occurrences.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[det/poss] cowardness[adj] cowardnesscowardness of [np]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No idioms are directly formed with this specific, obsolete term. Related idioms use 'coward' or 'cowardly'.]”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not used. Would be considered an error.
Academic
Virtually never used. Historical linguistics or analysis of archaic texts only.
Everyday
Not used. 'Cowardice' or descriptive phrases are used instead.
Technical
Not used in any technical register.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- [No verb form. The related verb is 'to cower' or the phrase 'to act cowardly'.]
American English
- [No verb form. The related verb is 'to cower' or the phrase 'to act cowardly'.]
adverb
British English
- He ran away cowardly from the confrontation.
- (Note: 'Cowardly' as an adverb is often replaced by 'in a cowardly manner' for clarity.)
American English
- The soldier acted cowardly under fire.
- (Note: 'Cowardly' as an adverb is often replaced by 'like a coward' for clarity.)
adjective
British English
- He was accused of cowardly behaviour during the crisis.
- It was a cowardly attack on an unarmed man.
American English
- She made a cowardly decision to quit the team.
- Failing to speak up was a cowardly act.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- [A2 learners should learn 'coward' and 'cowardly', not 'cowardness'.]
- His cowardness was clear when he refused to help his friend. (Historical/Archaic)
- The king condemned the knight for his cowardness.
- The chronicler wrote of the general's 'cowardness' in the face of the enemy, a term seldom used today.
- Moral cowardness, the failure to stand by one's principles, can be as damaging as physical fear.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: A 'coward' possesses the state of 'coward-ness', but this is an old-fashioned way to say it. The standard modern suffix is '-ice', as in 'coward-ice'.
Conceptual Metaphor
Cowardness is a physical weakness (spinelessness). / Cowardness is a stain on character.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not directly calque from Russian '-ость' to '-ness'. While 'трусость' is correct, its direct English equivalent is 'cowardice', not the archaic 'cowardness'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'cowardness' instead of the standard 'cowardice'.
- Forming the adjective as 'coward' instead of 'cowardly'.
- Misspelling as 'cowardness' when intending 'cowardice'.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the standard, modern English noun?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a historical word formation that is now considered obsolete and non-standard. The correct modern noun is 'cowardice'.
They are synonyms, but 'cowardice' is the only standard form used in contemporary English. 'Cowardness' is archaic and may be perceived as an error.
It is often a mistake by non-native speakers applying the common '-ness' suffix (like in 'kindness', 'darkness') by analogy, or a hypercorrection. It may also be encountered in very old texts.
'Cowardly' is primarily an adjective (e.g., a cowardly act). It can also function as an adverb, though this use is less common and sometimes criticised; phrases like 'in a cowardly way' are often preferred for clarity.