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
  • The cowardly strike on civilians—some of whom were religious pilgrims—took the lives of at least 14 people and injured more than 300.
    — Brian Sullivan, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
  • To know that a torture as violent as rape is about to happen ‘upstairs’ and not do ANYTHING ABOUT IT, is sick, cowardly and cold.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of cowardly
Noun
  • There are always vultures circling, and always cowards caving.
    — Matt Calkins OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • To me, moral cowards are those leaders around the world who refuse to sit down and negotiate a just and lasting peace.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 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
  • Once again, Slow Horses isn’t afraid to acknowledge its heroes are in a terrible situation and will pay the price for it.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Fond of travel but afraid to fly, Pan would take longish vacations in the Mediterranean, the Middle East, or Mexico, sometimes accompanied by his nieces.
    — David Hajdu, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of afraid
Adjective
  • Did my eyes widen, revealing a craven journalist ready to pounce on an exclusive?
    — Jason Sheeler, InStyle, 9 Sep. 2026
  • She was especially hurt that some of the people who criticized Cox most harshly, dismissing him as craven and disingenuous, were those who had the closest relationships with him.
    — McKay Coppins, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of craven
Adjective
  • While opponents treated Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham like punching bags, White hid behind spineless PR fluff instead of defending her stars.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Trump does not ask, but demands, and these spineless Republicans fall on their knees and yield to his wishes.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of spineless
Adjective
  • Discovering that your identity has been stolen can leave you feeling angry, frightened and unsure where to begin.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In one video, a young orangutan can be seen crouching in the corner of a small, dark crate, its frightened eyes wide open.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of frightened
Adjective
  • In either case, the projector will rotate through the primary colors more rapidly, which helps minimize the likelihood of seeing rainbow artifacts (flashes of red, green, blue, and—in this case—yellow).
    — M. David Stone, PC Magazine, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The arrest tally reported Sunday approached the nearly 2,000 recorded nationwide during a single day of yellow vest protests in December 2018.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 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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Cite this Entry

“Poltroon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poltroon. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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