We explain what cowardly means, the origin of the term and its historical use. Also, examples of its use in sentences.
What does cowardly mean?
The adjective pusilánime in Spanish is used to refer to those persons lack of courage, courage or courage to take decisions or face difficult or challenging situations. It is also used to designate the attitudes own of these people, that is, as synonymous of helplessness, weakness, cowardice, irresolution or softness.
This term comes from the Latin word pusillanimis, built from the voices pusilla ("Small") and animus ("Soul" or "breath"). In ancient Roman times, it was accused of being pusillus animus (that is, of having a small or insignificant soul) to those who exhibited cowardly, creeping behaviors, or lived too timidly to face life itself.
It was also used by the Roman jurist and writer Cicero (106-43 BC) as a synonym for mean or ungenerous, but that sense was not the one that ended up being imposed with the passing of history. For that reason, there is confusion as to whether magnanimus (from magnus, "big and animus) would have been its antonym, which seems unlikely, since the term “magnanimous” is nowadays synonymous with “generous”.
Thus, today we use cowardly for those who lack courage to defend their ideas or to face difficulties, that is, for the opposite of courage and bravery.
Examples of use of the word cowardly
Here are some examples of the use of the word "cowardly":
- "I can't stand how cowardly this character is in the movie."
- "Yesterday I faced my rival and he behaved in a very cowardly way."
- "These cowardly politicians will not be able to properly lead the nation"
- "Hell is reserved for those who live the life of the fainthearted."
- "Do not allow yourself such cowardly attitudes."