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
-
Don’t be afraid to wear these shoes to the fullest.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Feb. 2026 -
Thank you for your attempt at helping in the noble cause of mannerliness, but Miss Manners is afraid that your suggestion represents the problem, not the solution.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Russell fabricates a lie with the rest of the villains, and the heroes believe it, despite a warning from one traitorous tribemate.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Dec. 2025
-
That video drew the ire of President Donald Trump, who deemed it traitorous.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
25 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
This notably happened during the Civil War with enlistment bounties to track down deserters.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Dec. 2025
-
Harry Truman granted amnesty to certain World War II deserters, while Jimmy Carter granted pardons to hundreds of thousands of individuals who dodged the draft during the Vietnam War.—
Stewart Ulrich,
The Conversation,
15 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Please do not take the coward’s way.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
-
And Trump calls ’em almost like cowards.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Anderson suspected Rausch was a traitor and conspired with Lipinski to gather votes to banish him.—
Bebe Hodges,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
20 Feb. 2026
-
This conversation with our favorite class traitor/character actor centers around Night Thoughts, Shawn’s book length tango with the guilty position of the American elite.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Tharia’s Jane, meanwhile, is both vulnerable and volatile, sometimes letting slip a mass of frightened, warring impulses behind her still, steady gaze.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2026
-
While protesters may be frightened and grieving after last month's bloodbath, they're not mollified.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
After chasing thousands of leads and pursuing several false confessions, investigators arrested the four men in 1999.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
20 Feb. 2026
-
This becomes, like the false premises of a rom-com relationship, the dirt between the gears of their dynamic.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Clad in red, white and black, the renegade scientist’s sartorial inspiration is not bound to a single era.—
Emma Fraser,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
But in order to remain a meaningful platform for creative renegades, the festival needs to also take risks.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Recreant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recreant. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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