different between affright vs cowardice

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??f?a?t/

Etymology 1

From Middle English afrighten, from Old English ?fyrhtan, equivalent to a- +? fright.

Noun

affright (plural affrights)

1. (archaic) Great fear, terror, fright.
   • 1885, Richard F. Burton, The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Night 563:

     […] Then behold, there came up to us a huge fish, as big as a tall mountain, at whose sight we became wild for affright and, weeping sore, made ready for death, marvelling at its vast size and gruesome semblance; when lo! a second fish made its appearance than which we had seen naught more monstrous.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:fear

Verb

affright (third-person singular simple present affrights, present participle affrighting, simple past and past participle affrighted)

1. (archaic, transitive) To terrify, to frighten, to inspire fright in.
   • 1629, John Milton, On the Morning of Christ's Nativity

     A drear and dying sound / Affrights the flamens at their service quaint.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:frighten

Etymology 2

From Middle English afright, from Old English ?fyrht (“terrified; afraid”), past participle of ?fyrhtan (“to terrify; make afraid”).

Alternative forms

• afright

Adjective

affright (comparative more affright, superlative most affright)

1. afraid; terrified; frightened

English

Etymology

From Middle English cowardise, from Anglo-Norman cuardise (modern French couardise).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: kou??rd?s, IPA^(key): /?ka??d?s/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?ka??d?s/

Noun

cowardice (countable and uncountable, plural cowardices)

1. Lack of courage.

Synonyms

• cowardliness
• cowardness
• cowardship

Related terms

• coward
• cowardly

Translations