Why this word is great
POLTROON — [Noun/Adjective] An ignoble or abject coward; one whose fear constitutes a mean-spirited and contemptible moral failing. From Middle French poltron, from Italian poltrone (“idler, coward”), possibly from poltro (“couch, bed”), suggesting one who lounges in bed to avoid danger. Unlike craven (which denotes a hollow, publicly demonstrated capitulation) or timid (a neutral descriptor of hesitancy), a poltroon is defined by a shameful, self-serving spinelessness—a cowardice so total it curdles into character. It is the courtier who betrays with a whispered lie to save his pension, the soldier who hides in the laundry cart as the gates close, the landlord who evicts a widow but cannot meet her eye—a quiet, comfortable choice that erodes the world's courage by increments. We reserve our finest scorn not for those who fear, but for those who make a soft, safe habit of it.