Poltroon — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun adjective /päl-ˈtrün/ pol·troon

Meaning & Definition of Poltroon

Poltroon (noun)

  1. a spiritless coward, craven

Poltroon (adjective)

  1. characterized by complete cowardice

Poltroon (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. 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"

    similar: chicken, chicken-livered, chickenhearted, cowardly, craven, dastardly, gutless, lily-livered, milk-livered (archaic), pusillanimous, recreant, spineless, unheroic, yellow
    related: diffident, fainthearted, fearful, timid, timorous, afraid, frightened, scared, careful, cautious, wary, bashful, coy, shy, feeble, soft, unmanly, weak
    opposite: brave, courageous, daring, dauntless, doughty, fearless, gallant, greathearted, gutsy, hardy, heroic, intrepid, lionhearted, stalwart, stout, stouthearted, valiant, valorous
    near: audacious, bold, brazen, cheeky, nervy, plucky, spirited, spunky, determined, resolute

Poltroon (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. 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"

    similar: chicken, coward, craven, cur, dastard, funk, recreant, sissy
    related: defeatist, quitter, cream puff, milquetoast, pushover, pussy (slang), weakling, wimp, caitiff, snake, sneak, ostrich, scaramouch
    opposite: hero, stalwart, valiant
    near: daredevil

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Poltroon

The most common words with a similar meaning to Poltroon:

Archaic: milk-livered
chicken, chicken-livered, chickenhearted, cowardly, craven, dastardly, gutless, lily-livered, pusillanimous, recreant, spineless, unheroic, yellow, coward, cur, dastard, funk, sissy

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Poltroon

Words with the opposite meaning of Poltroon:

brave, courageous, daring, dauntless, doughty, fearless, gallant, greathearted, gutsy, hardy, heroic, intrepid, lionhearted, stalwart, stout, stouthearted, valiant, valorous, hero

Related Words for Poltroon

diffident, fainthearted, fearful, timid, timorous, afraid, frightened, scared, careful, cautious, wary, bashful, coy, shy, feeble, soft, unmanly, weak, defeatist, quitter, cream puff, milquetoast, pushover, pussy, weakling, wimp, caitiff, snake, sneak, ostrich

Near Antonyms of Poltroon

audacious, bold, brazen, cheeky, nervy, plucky, spirited, spunky, determined, resolute, daredevil

Origin & Etymology of Poltroon

Middle French poultron, from Old Italian poltrone, probably akin to poltro colt, ultimately from Latin pullus young of an animal foal

First known use: circa 1529

Frequently Asked Questions about Poltroon

What does "Poltroon" mean?

"Poltroon" means a spiritless coward, craven. As an a noun and an adjective, it is defined as: a spiritless coward, craven. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Poltroon"?

Other words for "Poltroon" include chicken, chicken-livered, chickenhearted, cowardly, craven, dastardly, gutless and lily-livered. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Poltroon" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Poltroon"?

There are 50 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Poltroon". Common alternatives include chicken, chicken-livered, chickenhearted, cowardly, craven, dastardly, gutless, lily-livered, milk-livered and pusillanimous.

What is the opposite of "Poltroon"?

Antonyms of "Poltroon" include brave, courageous, daring, dauntless, doughty, fearless, gallant and greathearted. Near antonyms include audacious, bold, brazen and cheeky.

How do you use "Poltroon" in a sentence?

Examples of "Poltroon" in a sentence: "a military commander who was so poltroon that he surrendered without having fired so much as a single shot"; "those poltroons in the state legislature who have caved in to bigotry on this important issue of basic civil rights".

Is "Poltroon" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Poltroon" can be used as a noun and an adjective, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Poltroon"?

"Poltroon" is pronounced /päl-ˈtrün/ and divided into syllables as pol·troon.

What is the origin of the word "Poltroon"?

"Poltroon" comes from Middle French poultron, from Old Italian poltrone, probably akin to poltro colt, ultimately from Latin pullus young of an animal foal. First known use: circa 1529.