1 craven | Definition of craven
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craven

adjective
cra·​ven | \ ˈkrā-vən How to pronounce craven (audio) \

Definition of craven

1 : lacking the least bit of courage : contemptibly fainthearted … craven mercenaries who would not fight …— Thomas Fleming
2 archaic : defeated, vanquished
Other Words from craven Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about craven

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Other Words from craven

craven noun
cravenly adverb
cravenness \ ˈkrā-​vən-​nəs How to pronounce cravenness (audio) \ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for craven

cowardly, pusillanimous, craven, dastardly mean having or showing a lack of courage. cowardly implies a weak or ignoble lack of courage. a cowardly failure to stand up for principle pusillanimous suggests a contemptible lack of courage. the pusillanimous fear of a future full of possibility craven suggests extreme defeatism and complete lack of resistance. secretly despised her own craven yes-men dastardly often implies behavior that is both cowardly and treacherous or skulking or outrageous. a dastardly attack on unarmed civilians

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'").

Examples of craven in a Sentence

a craven refusal to deliver the unwelcome news personally

Recent Examples on the Web

 But with an amoral president — and Trump certainly fills that bill — a moral framework is necessary to remind citizens of how craven some actions of this president truly are. — Brian Stelter, CNN, "From Fox to the Sun, battle over Baltimore rages in the wake of Trump's tweets," 30 July 2019 Within a rhetoric of universal approbation, every writer turns craven; all talent withers. — Hermione Hoby, The New Yorker, "What Does It Mean to Be a “Real” Writer?," 3 July 2019 Welcome back, to fans and sad sack wasp traps alike, to the craven death pit of greed and egomania that is Succession. — Andrew R. Chow, Time, "The Succession Season 2 Roy Family Power Rankings," 8 Aug. 2019 Brown had been enduring a lot of battles on a lot of fronts at Texas, a program that sits at the cross-currents of obnoxious wealth and craven political power and intensely unrealistic expectations relative to history. — Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, "Opinion: Why Mack Brown's return to North Carolina at age 67 makes perfect sense," 17 July 2019 His habit of making opposite promises to different factions in the party (offering One Nation Toryism to the left and hard Brexit to the right) owes less to strategic cunning than to a craven desire to be liked. — Boris Johnson, The Economist, "Boris Johnson, illusionist," 4 July 2019 On the one hand, Trump is an existential threat to the body politic, a craven and corrupt swamp creature worse than Nixon. — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, "Democrats Are Losing This Made-for-TV Moment," 12 June 2019 On his journeys Olmsted met many slaveholders and came to loathe their system and their craven ideology; Tony finds their remnants festering. — David W. Blight, Washington Post, "In his last book, Tony Horwitz sets out once more to find America," 4 June 2019 After months of bad news for Trump, an inspector general’s report revealed the degree to which former FBI Director James Comey’s leadership was shoddy and politically craven. — Chris Stirewalt, Fox News, "Trump scores on his own goal," 16 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'craven.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of craven

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

History and Etymology for craven

Middle English cravant

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More Definitions for craven

craven

adjective
How to pronounce craven (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of craven

formal : having or showing a complete lack of courage : very cowardly

See the full definition for craven in the English Language Learners Dictionary

craven

adjective
cra·​ven | \ ˈkrā-vən How to pronounce craven (audio) \

Kids Definition of craven

: cowardly

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