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
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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
Example Sentences
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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
-
May God comfort the families of the victims, heal the injured and protect humanity from those who dare to commit such cowardly acts of mass violence.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
2 Jan. 2025
-
Taka, the more cowardly lion, will eventually earn a name that isn’t going to surprise anybody.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
McGee, Knight, and Torres step onto the Elevator of Schemes and Secrets full of speculation, like why is LaRoche interested in scoring political points with this case, and what kind of coward hides behind a fake name anyway?—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
17 Dec. 2024
-
This sick, twisted and evil coward showed no regard for Laken or human life.—
Audrey Conklin,
Fox News,
21 Nov. 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
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Those clumsy tales revealed Chazelle’s pusillanimous career ambitions.—
Armond White,
National Review,
13 Jan. 2023
Adjective
-
Moving safely from the clouds to this perch required a steep angle, a dexterous pilot, and passengers more afraid of missing the film festival than of death upon impact.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2025
-
That’s what happens often with folks who are afraid to take that step, to start something new or scary.—
Dominique Fluker,
Essence,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Trump has already turned a national tragedy into a craven, baseless political attack by blaming DEI programs at the FAA and past administrations.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
31 Jan. 2025
-
Between the lines: One view is that these actions are simply craven pandering.—
Felix Salmon,
Axios,
13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
His spineless vice president and defense secretary then echoed Trump’s garbage.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
31 Jan. 2025
-
Zuckerberg blasts Biden admin on Joe Rogan; Dave Portnoy calls CEO ‘spineless jellyfish’ Robby Soave and Lynda Tran react to Mark Zuckerberg’s appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.—
The Hill,
The Hill,
13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The roughly seven-minute conversation raises questions about how the misunderstanding occurred and why incorrect information was shared with an already frightened community.—
Nell Salzman,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2025
-
Those who have birthright citizenship, those brought here as children and those who have legally applied for asylum are frightened.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2025
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
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Three prominent Austin chefs teamed up with the Youngblood family to build a new restaurant from scratch that looks like a legacy chicken dinner house, down to the bright blue-and-yellow colors and the helpings of hot yeast rolls with honey.—
Bud Kennedy,
star-telegram,
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 22 Feb. 2025.
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