coward move

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "coward move" is not correct in English; it should be "cowardly move." You can use it to describe an action that is perceived as lacking courage or bravery.
Example: "Choosing to avoid the confrontation was a cowardly move on his part."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

"It was a coward move.

The New York Times - Sports

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

The general visits Konrad's lodging, finds he has vanished, notes the pitying glance of his orderly and, when Krisztina arrives moments later, is stunned by her stricken outburst: "The coward!" He moves across to the hunting lodge built by his father, and from that moment to her death, eight years later, they neither speak nor meet.

The New York Times - Books

Mr. Hulburd always obligingly moves out at a moments notice when Mr. Coward wants to move in.

The New Yorker

They do it because they are cowards, so to move on them will frighten them into action.

WikiHow

Neymar suffered a fractured vertebra and such was the criticism – Thiago Silva branded Zúñiga a "coward" – that Napoli publicly moved to defend the full-back.

The Guardian - Sport

When she refuses to accept this, he lurks around like a coward, instead of just moving out, and finds a series of ways to see if he can hurt his wife – including pretending to forget her birthday.

The Guardian - Opinion

However, black-cab drivers condemned the move as a "coward's decision".

The Guardian - Tech

The move consolidated what Coward drily referred to as "Dad's Renaissance", which had begun only a year before with James Roose-Evans's revival of Private Lives at the Hampstead Theatre Club, triumphantly transferred to the West End.

The Guardian

In 1999 he appeared at the Coward conference at Birmingham University, and moved to Spain.

The Guardian

Then, moving to Noël Coward elegance in one gesture, he gazes at his hands in fastidious disgust and sighs.

The New York Times

He has always moved out so quickly that Mr. Coward has never met him.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "coward move". Instead, use "cowardly act" or "cowardly decision" for grammatical correctness.

Common error

Do not use the noun "coward" as an adjective to describe an action. The correct adjective form is "cowardly". For example, say "cowardly move" instead of "coward move".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "coward move" functions as a noun phrase, intended to describe an action characterized by a lack of courage. However, it's grammatically questionable, as Ludwig AI points out, because "coward" should be "cowardly" when used as an adjective.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

66.66%

Wiki

33.33%

Science

0%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "coward move" is used to describe an action lacking courage, but it is grammatically incorrect. As Ludwig AI suggests, the correct form is to use the adjective "cowardly", resulting in phrases like "cowardly act" or "cowardly move". While examples can be found in news and media, it is advisable to use the grammatically correct alternatives to maintain clarity and professionalism in writing. The expression is rare and using alternative phrasing such as cowardly decision is more appropriate.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

cowardly act

Replaces "move" with "act" to describe a single instance of cowardice.

cowardly decision

Substitutes "move" with "decision" to emphasize the lack of courage in choosing a course of action.

act of cowardice

Rephrases the concept as an action characterized by cowardice.

spineless action

Uses "spineless" as a synonym for cowardly, describing the action taken.

chickenhearted move

Employs "chickenhearted" to convey a lack of courage in the action.

pusillanimous deed

Replaces "coward" and "move" with the more formal synonyms "pusillanimous" and "deed".

lacking courage

Describes the situation in terms of what is missing instead of a direct characterization.

craven act

Uses "craven" to describe the act emphasizing its fear-driven nature.

fainthearted gesture

Employs "fainthearted" which is a synonym for lacking courage, to describe the "gesture".

yellow-bellied behavior

This is an idiom that means cowardly, describing the action taken.

FAQs

What is the correct way to describe an action done out of cowardice?

The grammatically correct way to describe an action done out of cowardice is to use the adjective "cowardly." Therefore, you should say "cowardly act" or "cowardly decision" rather than the grammatically incorrect "coward move."

What can I say instead of "coward move"?

Instead of "coward move", which is grammatically incorrect, you can use phrases like "cowardly act", "cowardly decision", or "act of cowardice".

Is "coward move" grammatically correct?

No, "coward move" is not grammatically correct. The correct form is to use the adjective "cowardly" before the noun, such as in "cowardly move", "cowardly act" or "cowardly decision".

What's the difference between "coward move" and "cowardly move"?

"Coward move" is grammatically incorrect, as it uses the noun "coward" as an adjective. The correct phrase is "cowardly move", where "cowardly" is the adjective describing the nature of the move.