poltroon

¹pol·troon

noun \päl-ˈtrün\

Definition of POLTROON

: a spiritless coward : craven

Examples of POLTROON

1. <those poltroons in the state legislature who have caved in to bigotry on this important issue of basic civil rights>

Origin of POLTROON

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

First Known Use: circa 1529

Related to POLTROON

Synonyms: chicken, craven, cur, dastard, funk, coward, recreant, sissy

Antonyms: hero, stalwart, valiant

Related Words: defeatist, quitter; cream puff, milquetoast, pushover, pussy [slang], weakling, wimp; caitiff, snake, sneak; ostrich, scaramouch (or scaramouche)

Near Antonyms: daredevil

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Rhymes with POLTROON

aswoon, attune, baboon, balloon, bassoon, blue moon, buffoon, Calhoun, Cancún, cardoon, cartoon, cocoon, commune, doubloon, dragoon, festoon, fine-tune, forenoon, full moon, gaboon, gadroon, galloon, Gudrun, half-moon, harpoon, high noon, immune, impugn, jargoon, jejune, Kowloon, Kunlun, lagoon, lampoon, lardoon, Maine coon, maroon, monsoon, Neptune, new moon, oppugn, Pashtun, patroon, platoon, pontoon, premune, puccoon, quadroon, ratoon, repugn, rough-hewn, saloon, Sassoon, shalloon, soupspoon, spittoon, spontoon, teaspoon, tribune, triune, tuchun, tycoon, typhoon, untune, Walloon