What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Coward vs Cower - What's the difference?

coward | cower |

As a noun coward

is a person who lacks courage.

As an adjective coward

is cowardly.

As a proper noun Coward

is {{surname}.

As a verb cower is

{{cx|intransitive|lang=en}} To crouch or cringe, or to avoid or shy away from something, in fear.

coward

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A person who lacks courage.
  • * 1856 : (Gustave Flaubert), (Madame Bovary), Part II Chapter IV, translated by Eleanor Marx-Aveling
  • He tortured himself to find out how he could make his declaration to her, and always halting between the fear of displeasing her and the shame of being such a coward , he wept with discouragement and desire. Then he took energetic resolutions, wrote letters that he tore up, put it off to times that he again deferred.

    Synonyms

    * chicken * See also

    Derived terms

    * cowardly * cowardice

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Cowardly.
  • *, II.17:
  • *:It is a coward and servile humour, for a man to disguise and hide himselfe under a maske, and not dare to shew himselfe as he is.
  • * Shakespeare
  • He raised the house with loud and coward cries.
  • * Prior
  • Invading fears repel my coward joy.
  • (heraldry, of a lion) Borne in the escutcheon with his tail doubled between his legs.
  • English words suffixed with -ard

    cower

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) kuren or from Scandinavian ((etyl) . Unrelated to coward, which is of Latin origin.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To crouch or cringe, or to avoid or shy away from something, in fear.
  • He'd be useless in war. He'd just cower in his bunker until the enemy came in and shot him, or until the war was over.
  • * Dryden
  • Our dame sits cowering o'er a kitchen fire.
  • * Goldsmith
  • Like falcons, cowering on the nest.
    See also
    * coward * cowardice

    Etymology 2

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To cherish with care.
  • (Webster 1913)