First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
1recreant
adjective rec·re·ant \ˈre-krē-ənt\
Definition of RECREANT
1
: crying for mercy : cowardly
2
: unfaithful to duty or allegiance
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Origin of RECREANT
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from present participle of (se) recreire to give up, yield, from Medieval Latin (se) recredere to resign oneself (to a judgment), from Latin re- + credere to believe — more at creed
Related to RECREANT
- Synonyms
- chicken, chickenhearted, chicken-livered, craven, dastardly, gutless, lily-livered, milk-livered [archaic], poltroon, pusillanimous, cowardly, spineless, unheroic, yellow
- Antonyms
- brave, courageous, daring, dauntless, doughty, fearless, gallant, greathearted, gutsy, hardy, heroic (also heroical), intrepid, lionhearted, stalwart, stout, stouthearted, valiant, valorous
2recreant
noun
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