poltroon 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of poltroonnext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

poltroon

2 of 2

noun

päl-ˈtrün How to pronounce poltroon (audio)
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
  1. cowardly
  2. coward
  3. pusillanimous
  4. afraid
  5. craven
  6. spineless
  7. frightened
  8. yellow
Adjective
  • 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.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 June 2026
  • But even the most perfect Constitution can be undone by the wicked with the help of the bought, the stupid, and the cowardly.
    — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
Definition of cowardly
Noun
  • That’s the sign of a true coward.
    — Maria Bamford, Vulture, 23 June 2026
  • 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.
    — Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 June 2026
Definition of coward
Adjective
  • Some also have lost lawyers, dismayed by the pusillanimous behavior of their leaders.
    — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025
  • 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.
    — A. Wess Mitchell, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Definition of pusillanimous
Adjective
  • If your bathroom has a basic flush mount, don’t be afraid to replace it with something more eye-catching, like a sputnik chandelier or a lantern pendant.
    — Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 8 July 2026
  • People shouldn’t be afraid, Hammerschlag says, because human-shark encounters are extremely rare—you’re statistically more likely to be killed by lightning.
    — Sam Nichols, Scientific American, 8 July 2026
Definition of afraid
Adjective
  • Not an inspiration for craven pundits and politicians to use players as divisive avatars.
    — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 2 July 2026
  • In 2024, The Onion purchased Infowars, the conspiracy website born of the craven lunatic/Sandy Hook shooting denier Alex Jones.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
Definition of craven
Adjective
  • And now the nation will probably never get back to normal because a spineless GOP can never admit that it’s been conned.
    — Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 22 May 2026
  • 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.
    — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
Definition of spineless
Adjective
  • In May, a frightened horse rammed into another carriage, causing the vehicle to flip over, injuring the driver.
    — ANDREA SACHS THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 28 June 2026
  • Rodríguez acknowledged that many remain too frightened to return home even after inspections declared some buildings safe.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 27 June 2026
Definition of frightened
Adjective
  • Shortly after, the mom-to-be stepped out in the Big Apple wearing a strapless yellow velvet gown with a floral design from Lela Rose’s Resort 2027 collection.
    — Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026
  • If Eloise had The Plaza, then Katerina and Gabrielle Tana had Dan Tana’s—the beloved red-sauce joint in a little yellow house on Santa Monica Boulevard that’s been a Los Angeles staple since 1964.
    — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 7 July 2026
Definition of yellow
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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poltergeists
poltroon
poltroonery
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“Poltroon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poltroon. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on poltroon

Nglish: Translation of poltroon for Spanish Speakers

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