as in cowardly
having or showing a shameful lack of courage
a military commander who was so poltroon that he surrendered without having fired so much as a single shot
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in coward
a person who shows a shameful lack of courage in the face of danger
those poltroons in the state legislature who have caved in to bigotry on this important issue of basic civil rights
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poltroon
Adjective
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Or maybe the problem is Cape Fear itself for being too cowardly to commit to the certainty that drove the previous versions of this story.
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But even the most perfect Constitution can be undone by the wicked with the help of the bought, the stupid, and the cowardly.
Noun
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That’s the sign of a true coward.
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Fishback showed up at a Donalds campaign event in Lake City on Saturday with a bunch of supporters, shouting through a bullhorn that Donalds was a coward for not debating him and telling him to go back to New York, a reference to Donalds’ childhood in Brooklyn.
Adjective
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Some also have lost lawyers, dismayed by the pusillanimous behavior of their leaders.
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The second believed the United States could attain comprehensive security through military-technological means and saw diplomacy as a quixotic or pusillanimous enterprise that dishonored and weakened the country.
Adjective
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The ruling leaves trans student-athletes and their advocates feeling angry and afraid.
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Pregnant mothers are afraid of their babies not being able to have a home.
Adjective
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In 2024, The Onion purchased Infowars, the conspiracy website born of the craven lunatic/Sandy Hook shooting denier Alex Jones.
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It’s populated by craven, cowardly traitors.
Adjective
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Some of Thomas’s critique appeared to be aimed at weak-willed conservatives, including his fellow-Justices, for being, as Thomas perceives it, too spineless to stand up for the ideals enshrined in the Declaration.
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Republicans in Congress have become spineless sycophants to a president who only sees the beauty of this country in dollar signs.
Adjective
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Rodríguez acknowledged that many remain too frightened to return home even after inspections declared some buildings safe.
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Some days are spent inside an Ebola Treatment Unit caring for patients who are frightened, isolated, and desperately ill.
Adjective
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Green means habitable, yellow means moderately damaged, and red signifies that the building is unsafe.
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Hot and even moderately hot pans will scorch the 10% resin content, turning it brown or yellow.
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Cite this Entry
“Poltroon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poltroon. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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