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What Does Feckless Mean in House of the Dragon? Answered

There are plenty of insults and vulgarities to be hurled around in Westeros, but sometimes it’s the more subtle ones that cut the deepest. If you’re wondering what “feckless” means in House of the Dragon, here’s what you need to know.

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House of the Dragon “Feckless” Meaning Explained

In episode 2 of House of the Dragon season 2, there’s a confrontation scene with Otto Hightower and Aegon. After learning that Aegon had all the ratcatchers murdered in an effort to find Cheese, Otto confronts him and calls him “feckless.”

This isn’t a word that we typically hear in modern English anymore, and you’d usually have to dig pretty deep to find an insult like this. Essentially, it means worthless, irresponsible, lack of strength or character, or lack in initiative. I can think of one other time the word was used in modern media, and that was in the season finale of Survivor: Samoa, when Shambo calls Mick “feckless” for being completely spineless in following Russell’s lead throughout the game.

This is a particularly apt description for Aegon, who clearly only acts on impulse and does not consider the possibility that it may be more advantageous to be prudent and patient. His fecklessness is al on full display in episode 1, where he was listening to the concerns of the smallfolk and looking to appease them, only to get completely undermined by Otto just seconds later.

This confrontation, of course, does not go down very well for Otto. At the end of the scene, Aegon fires Otto as his Hand, and also tells him to give the badge to Criston Cole of all people.

And that’s everything you need to know about what “feckless” means in House of the Dragon. Be sure to search up The Escapist for more news and information on the show, including who Alyrie Florent is, and the relationship between Alicent and Criston.


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Author
Image of Zhiqing Wan
Zhiqing Wan
Zhiqing is a History undergrad from the National University of Singapore. She started playing video games in 1996 when her dad introduced her to Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, and Resident Evil -- and the rest, as they say, is history. When she's not obsessing over Elden Ring and Dark Souls lore theories, you can find her singing along loudly and badly to Taylor Swift's latest bops. Formerly the Reviews Editor at Twinfinite, she joined the Escapist team in 2024. You can reach her at [email protected].