cowardly lion
1
7.7
- noun
- /ˈkaʊərdli laɪən/
:
león cobarde
- Wouldn't you feel degraded to be seen in the company of a cowardly lion?
Examples
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He could remember those yellow capsules that took away his fear, the cowardly lion.
Fiction book (1999) -
...cowardly lion.
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"I am a cowardly lion, afraid of everything,."
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Where's the tin man and the cowardly lion?
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Said the cowardly lion.
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A cowardly lion.
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So, in order to satisfy everyone (particularly the cowardly lion within himself), he cut a deal with the devil (Obama); it wasn't the first he’d cut, and it wasn't the last.
Blog text (14) -
The cowardly lion was too afraid to cross the dark forest.
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In the story, the cowardly lion dreams of being brave and strong.
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Despite his size and strength, the cowardly lion often shied away from challenges.
Synonyms
584
2.3
A person who is too afraid to face danger or hard things
10
9.3
A person who is too afraid to try things
4
9.9
A person who is weak and lacks courage or strength
3
9.9
A person who is too afraid to act or make decisions
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly built from 'cowardly' (timid) modifying 'lion' (an animal stereotypically brave), so a learner who knows both words can infer 'a person who is timid despite being expected to be brave.' This is a straightforward adjective + noun composition and mirrors common cross-linguistic metaphors, making it immediately comprehensible to B1 learners.
Etymology
Cowardly lion comes from the famous character in The Wizard of Oz: a large lion who looked fierce but was afraid and said he had no courage. That clear picture of a brave-looking animal who is actually 'timid' is why we call someone a cowardly lion when they are expected to be brave but are not.