Cowardice is often seen as a lack of bravery or the inability to face danger, difficulty, or pain. In everyday language, various expressions vividly describe this concept. Here are 20 expressions related to cowardice, each with a short meaning and an example sentence to help you understand and use them effectively.
Expressions Related to Cowardice
1. Chicken Out
Meaning: Avoid doing something.
Example: He chickened out at the last minute.
2. Lose One’s Nerve
Meaning: Become afraid.
Example: She lost her nerve before the speech.
3. Turn Tail
Meaning: Run away.
Example: They turned tail when they saw the dog.
4. Yellow-Bellied
Meaning: Very cowardly.
Example: Don’t be yellow-bellied and face your fears.
5. Run for Cover
Meaning: Seek safety.
Example: The kids ran for cover during the storm.
6. Back Down
Meaning: Withdraw a claim.
Example: He backed down when confronted.
7. Lose Heart
Meaning: Become discouraged.
Example: She lost heart after the first failure.
8. Throw in the Towel
Meaning: Give up.
Example: He threw in the towel during the race.
9. Run Scared
Meaning: Act out of fear.
Example: They ran scared when they heard the noise.
10. Quake in One’s Boots
Meaning: Be very scared.
Example: He was quaking in his boots before the exam.
11. Hide One’s Head in the Sand
Meaning: Ignore danger.
Example: Don’t hide your head in the sand, face it.
12. Shake Like a Leaf
Meaning: Tremble with fear.
Example: She was shaking like a leaf on stage.
13. Bail Out
Meaning: Abandon a situation.
Example: He bailed out of the project last minute.
14. Turn Craven
Meaning: Become cowardly.
Example: He turned craven and didn’t confront the issue.
15. Cut and Run
Meaning: Flee suddenly.
Example: They cut and ran when trouble started.
16. Lose One’s Cool
Meaning: Panic.
Example: She lost her cool during the emergency.
17. With Tail Between Legs
Meaning: Feeling ashamed.
Example: He left with his tail between his legs.
18. Be a Chicken
Meaning: Be cowardly.
Example: Don’t be a chicken, go talk to her.
19. Eat Crow
Meaning: Admit defeat.
Example: He had to eat crow after losing the bet.
20. Run Away with One’s Tail Between One’s Legs
Meaning: Retreat shamefully.
Example: They ran away with their tails between their legs.
