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
Relevance
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
Examples Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of poltroon
Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, 15 Jan. 2021
Noun
And there’s the awkward fact of Giuliani’s having failed, in spite of his most abject scheming, to manage to overturn the presidential election that Donald Trump lost to a wobbly poltroon on the edge of 80.
—Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, 15 Jan. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poltroon
Adjective
-
Social media has erupted with praise for this cowardly attack.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
-
The cowardly cook will turn to squid as a replacement, but only cuttlefish deliver the essential alien squirm, and the relevant recipes are a treat.Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
William quickly places Ian under arrest for assaulting an officer, as Rachel calls him a coward.Lincee Ray, EW.com, 14 Dec. 2024
-
The Lemon Drop Kid (1951) Bob Hope didn’t so much play characters as variations on the Bob Hope persona, a wisecracking coward with a tendency to get in way over his head then make matters worse for himself.Keith Phipps, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Mark Kelly Americans who are rightfully appalled by the pusillanimous response to anti-Semitism on college campuses have been pulling their donations and calling for restrictions on anti-Israel student groups.Arthur Levitt, WSJ, 12 Nov. 2023
-
Those clumsy tales revealed Chazelle’s pusillanimous career ambitions.Armond White, National Review, 13 Jan. 2023
Adjective
-
Whether the two will remain as close once Trump is sworn in on Jan. 20 is unclear, as the president-elect isn’t afraid to cut ties with those who undermine him.Samantha-Jo Roth, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 31 Dec. 2024
-
Ohio State isn't afraid of the Ducks and will be coming in to make a massive statement.George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
To keep Kiara's mind off things, Rafiki tells the story of young Mufasa (Aaron Pierre), who got washed away from his family by a huge flood and was saved by Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), the prince of his pride who shows early signs of his craven nature and eventual heel turn as Scar.Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2024
-
Dancing around Spider-Man without ever getting to use him also contributed to the feeling that these spin-off films were merely exercises in, ahem, craven opportunism.Adam B. Vary, Variety, 14 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
There are about 60 games left and plenty of time to make up that kind of ground, especially in the AL West against the spineless Mariners and after getting through the Astros last year.Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic, 23 July 2024
-
Don’t let our spineless lawmakers trick you at the ballot box.Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
When Martin dies in class after getting frightened in a dream, the sheet is accidentally pulled off of his gurney to reveal his death rictus.Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2024
-
His fervor to determine who took the weapon reveals a shockingly monstrous side, turning his wife and children into frightened suspects and leading to a jarring tonal-shift ending that proves to be a cathartic, believable final destination for a film simmering with mistrust and anger.Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
The look features bright coral eyeshadow covering the eyelid, a fuchsia shade in the crease, and a swipe of fluorescent yellow eyeliner on the outside half of the eye and right under the brow.Andrea Park, Teen Vogue, 20 July 2017
-
In addition to selling yellow mustard and hot sauce, the division makes ketchup, onion flavorings and other products.Nick Turner, Bloomberg.com, 19 July 2017
Thesaurus Entries Near poltroon
Cite this Entry
“Poltroon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poltroon. Accessed 4 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share