डरपोक (darpok)

adjective A single-sense word meaning 'cowardly, timid' -- describes a person's character, not a momentary state of fear.
Sense 1 : cowardly, timid
adjective
Synonyms: भीरू (bhiiroo, literary), कायर (kaayar)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: This is the word Indian parents and older siblings reach for when teasing a kid who is scared of the dark or won't go near a dog -- said with a laugh, it is affectionate needling; said flatly, it is a real jab at someone's nerve. It pairs naturally with डर (dar, 'fear'), the noun it is built from.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes use this to describe a one-off scared reaction (like jumping at a loud noise), but डरपोक (darpok) labels someone's general character trait, not a momentary fright -- for that, use डर गया (dar gayaa, 'got scared') instead. 2) It is a mild-to-moderate insult about personality, so calling a friend this in the wrong tone can land as genuinely rude rather than teasing.
Sample Sentences:
वह बहुत डरपोक है। He is very cowardly.
(vah bahut darpok hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अरे डरपोक, कुत्ते से क्या डरना, वो तो पालतू है! Oh you scaredy-cat, why be afraid of the dog, it's just a pet!
(are darpok, kutte se kyaa darnaa, vo to paaltoo hai!)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
बचपन में मैं बहुत डरपोक था, अंधेरे कमरे में जाने से भी डरता था। As a child I was very timid -- I was even scared to go into a dark room.
(bachpan men main bahut darpok thaa, andhere kamre men jaane se bhii dartaa thaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
इतना डरपोक मत बनो, कुछ नहीं होगा। Don't be such a coward, nothing will happen.
(itnaa darpok mat bano, kuchh nahiin hogaa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर वह डरपोक न होता, तो अकेले रात में भी बाहर चला जाता। If he weren't such a coward, he would have gone outside alone even at night.
(agar vah darpok n hotaa, to akele raat men bhii baahar chalaa jaataa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
क्या तुम इतने डरपोक हो कि एक छिपकली से भी चिल्ला उठे? Are you so cowardly that you screamed even at a lizard?
(kyaa tum itne darpok ho ki ek chhipaklii se bhii chillaa uthe?)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
सिपाही ने कहा कि जो सैनिक मैदान छोड़कर भाग जाए, वह डरपोक कहलाता है। The soldier said that a soldier who flees the battlefield is called a coward.
(sipaahii ne kahaa ki jo sainik maidaan chhodkar bhaag jaae, vah darpok kahlaataa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
डरपोक इंसान कभी बड़े फैसले नहीं ले सकता। A cowardly person can never make big decisions.
(darpok insaan kabhii bade phaisle nahiin le saktaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
उसे डरपोक समझकर सब उसका मज़ाक बनाते थे, पर बाद में उसने सबको हैरान कर दिया। Everyone used to mock him thinking he was a coward, but later he surprised everyone.
(use darpok samajhkar sab uskaa mazaak banaate the, par baad men usne sabko hairaan kar diyaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
जो अन्याय के सामने चुप रह जाए, वह डरपोक ही कहा जाएगा। Whoever stays silent in the face of injustice will indeed be called a coward.
(jo anyaay ke saamne chup rah jaae, vah darpok hii kahaa jaaegaa।)
Register: Literary -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Passive
डर के मारे उसका डरपोक स्वभाव सबके सामने आ गया। Out of fear, his cowardly nature came out in front of everyone.
(dar ke maare uskaa darpok svabhaav sabke saamne aa gayaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant: डरपोक (darpok)