1. lacking courage; easily frightened
缺乏勇氣的；膽小的
It was a cowardly act to run away from the fight.
從打鬥中逃跑是一種懦弱的行為。
He felt cowardly for not speaking up in the meeting.
他因為沒有在會議上發言而感到自己很懦弱。
Cowardly Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
cowardly
adjective
快速理解
What does "Cowardly" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Cowardly"?
形容人因恐懼而缺乏勇氣，表現出膽怯或卑劣的行為。
- 1
缺乏勇氣
EN: lacking courage; easily frightened.
翻譯: 缺乏勇氣；容易感到害怕。
- 2
行為膽怯
EN: showing fear in a way that is shameful.
翻譯: 以一種可恥的方式表現出恐懼。
- 3
卑劣行徑
EN: mean-spirited or dishonorable, especially when not facing danger directly.
翻譯: 卑鄙或不光彩的，尤指在不直接面對危險時的行為。
小提醒：注意 'cowardly' 是形容詞，用來描述人或行為。名詞是 'coward'（懦夫）。
發音（How to Pronounce "Cowardly" in English）
How to pronounce "Cowardly" in English?"Cowardly" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Cowardly" from YouTube Videos
Why are we happy? Why aren't we happy? | Dan Gilbert
TED
“When our fears are bounded, we're prudent, we're cautious, we're thoughtful. When our fears are unbounded and overblown, we're reckless and we're cowardly.”
(1 out of 1)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Cowardly"?How does "Cowardly" change by context?
2. showing a shameful lack of courage
表現出可恥的缺乏勇氣
The cowardly attack on the unarmed civilians was condemned worldwide.
對無武裝平民的懦弱攻擊受到了全世界的譴責。
Leaving your friends in danger is a cowardly thing to do.
把朋友置於危險之中自己離開是種卑劣的行為。
3. characteristic of or befitting a coward
具有懦夫特質的；適合懦夫的
His cowardly silence allowed the injustice to continue.
他懦弱的沉默讓不公義持續下去。
She gave a cowardly excuse for not attending the difficult meeting.
她為不出席那個困難的會議找了一個怯懦的藉口。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Cowardly"?How to make natural sentences with "Cowardly"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| cowardly + noun | 形容（名詞）是懦弱的 | He made a cowardly retreat. (他進行了一次懦弱的撤退。) |
| be + cowardly | 是懦弱的、膽小的 | His actions were cowardly and dishonorable. (他的行為既懦弱又可恥。) |
| It is cowardly + to-infinitive | （做某事）是懦弱的 | It was cowardly to attack from behind. (從背後攻擊是懦弱的行為。) |
| feel + cowardly | 感到膽怯 | I felt cowardly for not speaking up. (我因沒有說出來而感到自己很懦弱。) |
| act/behave in a cowardly manner | 以懦弱的方式行事 | The soldier was accused of acting in a cowardly manner. (這名士兵被指控行事懦弱。) |
用法說明
How is "Cowardly" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Cowardly"?
cowardly doing vs cowardly to do
- "cowardly" 作為形容詞，通常修飾名詞（如 a cowardly act），或用於連綴動詞後（如 It was cowardly）。它本身不直接與 "doing" 或 "to do" 形成固定搭配。
- 要表達「做某事是懦弱的」這個意思，常見的句型是使用形式主詞 It is cowardly to do something。
- 另一個常見結構是將 "cowardly" 放在名詞前，描述行為的性質，例如 a cowardly decision to do something。
- 直接說 "someone is cowardly doing something" 是不標準的用法，應避免。 EN: It was cowardly to abandon his friends in danger. 翻譯: 在朋友危難時拋棄他們，這是懦弱的行為。
EN:He made a cowardly decision to run away.
翻譯:他做了逃跑這個懦弱的決定。
總結建議
建議使用「It is cowardly to + 動詞」或「a cowardly + 名詞 + to + 動詞」的結構來表達「做某事是懦弱的」。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Cowardly" and similar words?How to choose "Cowardly" vs alternatives?
cowardly vs timid
cowardly 強調因恐懼而逃避責任或危險，帶有強烈貶義；timid 則指天生膽小、害羞，較為中性。
cowardly vs fearful
cowardly 強調因恐懼而做出的可恥行為；fearful 僅描述感到害怕的狀態。
cowardly vs craven
兩者都指懦弱，但 craven 語氣更強烈、更書面化，指徹底缺乏勇氣、卑躬屈膝的懦弱。
口語用法
How is "Cowardly" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Cowardly"?
引述
在轉述他人對某人的批評或評價時，常用來緩和語氣，表示這並非說話者本人的直接指控。 EN: He said the decision was cowardly and showed a lack of leadership. 翻譯: 他說這個決定很懦弱，顯示出缺乏領導力。
EN:People are calling his actions cowardly, but I think there's more to the story.
翻譯:大家都在說他的行為很怯懦，但我覺得事情沒那麼簡單。
語氣強調
用於加強批評的語氣，常與「so」、「absolutely」、「utterly」等副詞連用，表達強烈的譴責或失望。 EN: That was such a cowardly move. I can't believe he did that. 翻譯: 那真是個超級懦弱的舉動。我不敢相信他會這麼做。
EN:It's just absolutely cowardly to attack someone from behind like that.
翻譯:像那樣從背後攻擊人，簡直是徹頭徹尾的膽小行為。
停頓填充
在組織想法或尋找更精確的詞彙時，作為一個暫時的、帶有強烈負面評價的填充語。 EN: His response was... cowardly, to say the least. 翻譯: 他的回應嘛... 說得客氣點，就是很懦弱。
EN:It felt like a... well, a cowardly way out of the situation.
翻譯:這感覺像是... 嗯，一種逃避局面的懦夫行徑。
正式寫作注意：在學術、新聞或正式報告中，應避免使用帶有強烈個人情緒的「cowardly」，改用更中性的詞彙如「timid」、「unassertive」、「risk-averse」或具體描述行為（如「retreated without engaging」），以保持客觀性。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Cowardly"?What fixed phrases with "Cowardly" should I remember?
a cowardly act
adj + n
懦弱的行為
a cowardly attack
adj + n
卑劣的攻擊
cowardly lion
adj + n
膽小的獅子（常指《綠野仙蹤》角色，或比喻外強中乾的人）
to act cowardly
v + adv
表現得懦弱
a cowardly retreat
adj + n
怯懦的撤退
a cowardly way out
adj + n
懦弱的逃避方式
cowardly submission
adj + n
怯懦的屈服
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Cowardly"?Which "Cowardly" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×He acted cowardly in the face of danger.
✓He acted in a cowardly manner in the face of danger.
雖然 'cowardly' 以 -ly 結尾，但它主要用作形容詞，而非副詞。修飾動詞時，應使用 'in a cowardly manner/way' 或 'like a coward'。
×His action was coward.
✓His action was cowardly.
'Coward' 是名詞，指『懦夫』。描述行為或態度時，應使用形容詞 'cowardly'（怯懦的）。
×He is a cowardly person.
✓He is cowardly.
'Cowardly' 本身已是形容詞，直接修飾名詞（如 a cowardly act）或作主詞補語（如 He is cowardly）。加上 'person' 雖可理解，但顯得多餘且不自然。
×He is not cowardly at all; he is very brave.
✓He is not cowardly; he is very brave.
'Not cowardly' 已足夠表達『不怯懦』。加上 'at all' 雖然語法正確，但在與明確對比（如 'he is very brave'）並列時，顯得不自然或過度強調。
×The child felt cowardly about the dark room.
✓The child felt fearful (or afraid) of the dark room.
'Cowardly' 通常帶有強烈的負面道德評價，指因缺乏勇氣而做出可恥的行為。對於單純感到害怕（fearful, afraid）但未做出可恥行為的情況，使用 'cowardly' 並不恰當。
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Cowardly"?What are tense/participle forms of "Cowardly"?