craven

adjective

cra·ven ˈkrā-vən How to pronounce craven (audio)

: lacking the least bit of courage : contemptibly fainthearted

… craven mercenaries who would not fight …

Thomas Fleming

archaic : defeated, vanquished

craven noun

cravenly adverb

cravenness

ˈkrā-vən-nəs How to pronounce craven (audio)

noun

Did you know?

Craven and its synonyms "dastardly" and "pusillanimous" are all basically fancy words for "cowardly." Don't be afraid to use them - here's a little information to help you recognize the subtle distinctions in their connotations. "Craven" suggests extreme defeatism and complete lack of resistance. One might speak of "craven yes-men." "Dastardly" often implies behavior that is both cowardly and treacherous or skulking or outrageous, as in this example: "a dastardly attack on unarmed civilians." "Pusillanimous" suggests a contemptible lack of courage (e.g., "After the attack, one editorialist characterized the witnesses as 'the pusillanimous bystanders'").

Example Sentences

a craven refusal to deliver the unwelcome news personally

Recent Examples on the Web Under the circumstances, then, the Special Olympics organization’s craven response to the DeSantis threat is nothing less than a betrayal of its own community.

Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2022 The Republicans are hell-bent on the destruction of American democracy, or else too craven to stand in the way—the result is the same.

George Packer, The Atlantic, 18 May 2022 His knack for skewering Broadway’s smash hits and for commenting on its craven tendencies to dumb down for and rip off its customers is unparalleled.

David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2022 It’s the power to change some of the awful, craven aspects of our current culture.

Cameron Smith | Csmith@al.com, al, 13 Apr. 2022 This mass radicalization is driven at various levels—through social media, divisive political messaging, a craven mainstream news media (at times compared with Radio Rwanda), and historical revisionism, increasingly through cinema.

Debasish Roy Chowdhury, Time, 30 Mar. 2022 The choice was roundly lambasted at the time and generally attributed to a craven motive.

Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Mar. 2022 As a movie, The Batman shows Hollywood’s craven manipulation of its easily susceptible audience.

Armond White, National Review, 4 Mar. 2022 Cheney and Kinzinger clearly find this craven, concluding that the problem, far from fading away, is getting worse and has to be taken head-on.

Andrew C. Mccarthy, National Review, 14 Feb. 2022 See More

craven 1 of 2

adjective

as in cowardly

having or showing a shameful lack of courage a craven refusal to deliver the unwelcome news personally

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

cowardly
afraid
scared
pusillanimous
frightened
gutless
spineless
dastardly
poltroon
unheroic
yellow
timid
careful
lily-livered
fearful
recreant
chicken
chickenhearted
weak
cautious
timorous
diffident
feeble
wary
milk-livered
fainthearted
chicken-livered
bashful
coy
unmanly
shy
soft

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

brave
heroic
valiant
daring
courageous
brazen
hardy
intrepid
gallant
fearless
valorous
stalwart
gutsy
stout
dauntless
bold
audacious
heroical
cheeky
stouthearted
doughty
nervy
lionhearted
spirited
plucky
resolute
spunky
greathearted
determined

craven

2 of 2

noun

as in coward

a person who shows a shameful lack of courage in the face of danger a craven who ran away and left everyone else behind to deal with the crisis

Synonyms & Similar Words

coward
poltroon
dastard
sissy
chicken
cur
funk
milquetoast
defeatist
recreant
snake
weakling
wimp
caitiff
pussy
quitter
cream puff
sneak
pushover
scaramouche
ostrich
scaramouch

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

valiant
stalwart
hero
daredevil

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of craven are cowardly, dastardly, and pusillanimous. While all these words mean "having or showing a lack of courage," craven suggests extreme defeatism and complete lack of resistance.

secretly despised her own craven yes-men

The words cowardly and craven can be used in similar contexts, but cowardly implies a weak or ignoble lack of courage.

a cowardly failure to stand up for principle

Although the words dastardly and craven have much in common, dastardly often implies behavior that is both cowardly and treacherous or skulking or outrageous.

a dastardly attack on unarmed civilians

While in some cases nearly identical to craven, pusillanimous suggests a contemptible lack of courage.

the pusillanimous fear of a future full of possibility

单词	craven
释义	craven adjective cra·ven ˈkrā-vən 1 : lacking the least bit of courage : contemptibly fainthearted … craven mercenaries who would not fight … Thomas Fleming 2 archaic : defeated, vanquished craven noun cravenly adverb cravenness ˈkrā-vən-nəs noun Did you know? Craven and its synonyms "dastardly" and "pusillanimous" are all basically fancy words for "cowardly." Don't be afraid to use them - here's a little information to help you recognize the subtle distinctions in their connotations. "Craven" suggests extreme defeatism and complete lack of resistance. One might speak of "craven yes-men." "Dastardly" often implies behavior that is both cowardly and treacherous or skulking or outrageous, as in this example: "a dastardly attack on unarmed civilians." "Pusillanimous" suggests a contemptible lack of courage (e.g., "After the attack, one editorialist characterized the witnesses as 'the pusillanimous bystanders'"). Synonyms chicken chicken-livered chickenhearted cowardly dastardly gutless lily-livered milk-livered [archaic] poltroon pusillanimous recreant spineless unheroic yellow See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences a craven refusal to deliver the unwelcome news personally Recent Examples on the Web Under the circumstances, then, the Special Olympics organization’s craven response to the DeSantis threat is nothing less than a betrayal of its own community. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2022 The Republicans are hell-bent on the destruction of American democracy, or else too craven to stand in the way—the result is the same. George Packer, The Atlantic, 18 May 2022 His knack for skewering Broadway’s smash hits and for commenting on its craven tendencies to dumb down for and rip off its customers is unparalleled. David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2022 It’s the power to change some of the awful, craven aspects of our current culture. Cameron Smith \| Csmith@al.com, al, 13 Apr. 2022 This mass radicalization is driven at various levels—through social media, divisive political messaging, a craven mainstream news media (at times compared with Radio Rwanda), and historical revisionism, increasingly through cinema. Debasish Roy Chowdhury, Time, 30 Mar. 2022 The choice was roundly lambasted at the time and generally attributed to a craven motive. Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Mar. 2022 As a movie, The Batman shows Hollywood’s craven manipulation of its easily susceptible audience. Armond White, National Review, 4 Mar. 2022 Cheney and Kinzinger clearly find this craven, concluding that the problem, far from fading away, is getting worse and has to be taken head-on. Andrew C. Mccarthy, National Review, 14 Feb. 2022 See More Word History Etymology Middle English cravant First Known Use 13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2 Kids Definition craven adjective cra·ven ˈkrā-vən : cowardly craven 1 of 2 adjective as in cowardly having or showing a shameful lack of courage a craven refusal to deliver the unwelcome news personally Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance cowardly afraid scared pusillanimous frightened gutless spineless dastardly poltroon unheroic yellow timid careful lily-livered fearful recreant chicken chickenhearted weak cautious timorous diffident feeble wary milk-livered fainthearted chicken-livered bashful coy unmanly shy soft Antonyms & Near Antonyms brave heroic valiant daring courageous brazen hardy intrepid gallant fearless valorous stalwart gutsy stout dauntless bold audacious heroical cheeky stouthearted doughty nervy lionhearted spirited plucky resolute spunky greathearted determined See More craven 2 of 2 noun as in coward a person who shows a shameful lack of courage in the face of danger a craven who ran away and left everyone else behind to deal with the crisis Synonyms & Similar Words coward poltroon dastard sissy chicken cur funk milquetoast defeatist recreant snake weakling wimp caitiff pussy quitter cream puff sneak pushover scaramouche ostrich scaramouch Antonyms & Near Antonyms valiant stalwart hero daredevil Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of craven are cowardly, dastardly, and pusillanimous. While all these words mean "having or showing a lack of courage," craven suggests extreme defeatism and complete lack of resistance. secretly despised her own craven yes-men The words cowardly and craven can be used in similar contexts, but cowardly implies a weak or ignoble lack of courage. a cowardly failure to stand up for principle Although the words dastardly and craven have much in common, dastardly often implies behavior that is both cowardly and treacherous or skulking or outrageous. a dastardly attack on unarmed civilians While in some cases nearly identical to craven, pusillanimous suggests a contemptible lack of courage. the pusillanimous fear of a future full of possibility
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craven

adjective

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

adjective

adjective

noun

Synonym Chooser