recreant
Cowardly oath-breaker
Recreant describes someone who abandons their principles or duties—a coward or traitor.
The word is archaic and literary, appearing mainly in historical fiction or deliberately elevated prose: The recreant knight fled the battlefield.
As a noun, a recreant is such a person: He was branded a recreant by his former allies.
Person lacking bravery
- poltroonAbject coward
- cravenContemptibly lacking nerve
- faintheartedCowardly, easily discouraged
- pusillanimousLacking courage or determination
spineless · gutless · chickenhearted · timorous · yellow · dastardly · milksop · weakling
One who betrays allegiance
- turncoatOne who betrays allegiance
- betrayerOne who breaks allegiance
- defectorOne who abandons allegiance
- renegadeDeserter of a cause
quisling · backstabber · double-crosser · perfidious · treacherous · disloyal · unfaithful · false
coward
Person lacking bravery
- poltroonAbject coward
- cravenContemptibly lacking nerve
- faintheartedCowardly, easily discouraged
pusillanimous · spineless · gutless · chickenhearted · timorous · yellow · dastardly · milksop · weakling · lily-livered
traitor
One who betrays allegiance
- turncoatOne who betrays allegiance
- betrayerOne who breaks allegiance
- defectorOne who abandons allegiance
renegade · quisling · backstabber · double-crosser · perfidious · treacherous · disloyal · unfaithful · false · Judas
apostate
One who renounces faith
- hereticChallenger of official doctrine
- renegadeDeserter of a cause
- backsliderOne who reverts
defector · deserter · dissenter · schismatic · lapsed · forsaker · renouncer · turncoat · fallen · unfaithful
- cowardicecoward, cowardly, craven, gutless, spineless
- cowardscoward, chicken, wimp, milquetoast, poltroon
- old insultsknave, varlet, scoundrel, rogue, blackguard
- betrayerstraitor, betrayer, backstabber, turncoat, double-crosser