1
as in afraid
having or showing a shameful lack of courage
the victors had only contempt for the recreant enemy soldiers who surrendered without firing a shot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in traitorous
not true in one's allegiance to someone or something
recreant campaign workers who walked out as soon as their candidate began dropping in the polls
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in deserter
a person who abandons a cause or organization usually without right
traditionally armies have dealt harshly with recreants, with execution being a common punishment for desertion during wartime
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in coward
a person who shows a shameful lack of courage in the face of danger
the historian reserved his greatest contempt for those recreants who opposed the witch hunt but lacked the courage to speak out against it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in traitor
one who betrays a trust or an allegiance
a spy and recreant to his country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recreant
Adjective
-
Heat coaches and players aren’t afraid to admit it.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
20 Oct. 2025 -
Some in Silicon Valley, even those developing advanced AI, are genuinely afraid of where the technology might lead.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Clarisse looks intimidating climbing out of a boat, as does Bushnell’s traitorous Luke, who wields a sharp-looking knife.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
24 July 2025
-
There's a delicious whodunit aspect to it, too, as the list of five potentially traitorous suspects includes the operative's own high-profile wife (Cate Blanchett).—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
4 July 2025
Noun
-
In 1945, three men — two Jewish refugees living in Brooklyn and one Nazi deserter — enlisted in the Office of Strategic Services, a precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency in the United States.—
Lauren Liebhaber,
Miami Herald,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Despite opposition to busing, particularly among White families who comprised much of Louisville's Catholic population, Archbishop McDonough vowed in 1974 that his schools would not become the home of public school deserters.—
Krista Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Just an utter coward folding to this embarrassing paper tiger administration.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Oct. 2025
-
We are told that politics is for cowards, literary analysis is for women, education is a system of liberal indoctrination, brave individuals must resist the herd.—
Robert Rubsam,
Vulture,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The high-concept social experiment show, in which a group of strangers work together to uncover the traitors, sorry, werewolves, amongst them, was a breakout hit on Canal+ in France and has already been adapted for ARD’s online service in Germany.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Oct. 2025
-
If Brian doesn't answer, he will be labeled a traitor.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Her parents were opposed to the Russian occupation but too frightened to talk about it.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
19 Oct. 2025
-
That included an incident in a press box at Yankee Stadium in 2013, when a frightened and fractured Kay had to be brought back to a team hotel, or an incident at the offices at Angel Stadium on Easter Day in 2019 when a sweating and erratic Kay was taken home and then hospitalized.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, Tesla is still fighting a false advertising lawsuit from California's DMV.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
18 Oct. 2025
-
And that’s really false advertising.—
Alex Crippen,
CNBC,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
For years, Hollywood content creators have warned about piracy, whether through bootleg VHS tapes, or BitTorrent, or renegade streaming providers.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Skarsgård has long been a red carpet renegade, showing flashes of that playful freak that lives within.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
3 Oct. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Recreant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recreant. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share