poltroon
1
9.9
- noun
- /pəlˈtro͞on/
- Offensive
:
cobarde
- Oh, you big poltroon.
Examples
-
"Adam Reith, you have much to answer for!" "Quiet, poltroon," said Zarfo without heat.
Fiction book (1993) -
He knows this side of politics—the poltroons, the fixers, the back-room boys.
Blog text (11) -
And not like some poltroon from Philadelphia, where there is no honor.
Fiction book (1994) -
Not like a poltroon from Philadelphia.
Fiction book (1994) -
Because exposing these lackwits as the bullying poltroons they really are is doing a service.
Blog text (4) -
Get lobbyists out of DC; let the pack of poltroons live on their salaries and perks.
Blog text (20) -
A monster of depravity: liar, cheat, lecher, murderer; vain, greedy, treacherous, ungrateful, a poltroon, a braggart.
Academic text (1991) -
He was labeled a poltroon by his friends for avoiding the challenge.
-
The soldiers called him a poltroon after he fled the battlefield.
-
Her refusal to stand up for what is right made her a poltroon in the eyes of many.
Synonyms
584
2.3
A person who is too afraid to face danger or hard things
10
9.6
A person who is very afraid and avoids danger or difficult situations
1
9.9
A person who is cowardly and betrays others to save themselves
1
9.9
A person who is not brave and betrays friends or causes
Antonyms
How Cowardly
Surface Forms
Etymology
Poltroon comes from an old Italian word poltrona meaning 'armchair'. Imagine someone hiding in an armchair instead of facing danger; that image helps show why a poltroon is a very cowardly person.