Word page
Caitiff is an old insult for someone considered cowardly, despicable, or generally pathetic.
Caitiff is an old insult for someone considered cowardly, despicable, or generally pathetic.
It sounds far too elegant for such a nasty judgment. That mismatch makes it feel delightfully theatrical.
The term came through French into Middle English and originally carried senses of wretchedness and misery before becoming a sharper insult.
Mostly appears in historical writing, fantasy dialogue, and playful modern mock-serious insults.
Use caitiff when you want a vivid, precise word in place of a flatter everyday alternative. It works especially well in writing that welcomes color, voice, and a little surprise.
wretch, coward, scoundrel, cad
hero, champion, noble soul
