cowardy

A British informal adjective meaning cowardly — someone who's acting chicken, ducking out of a challenge, or showing a serious lack of backbone. It's the kind of word you'd throw at a mate who refuses to do something mildly scary or backs out of a dare. More playful and teasing than a harsh insult, cowardy still lands as a clear signal that someone's not stepping up. It shows up in old British playground culture and informal speech.