craven

[ krey-vuhn ]
/ ˈkreɪ vən /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR craven ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

cowardly; contemptibly timid; pusillanimous.

noun

a coward.

verb (used with object)

to make cowardly.

Idioms for craven

    cry craven, to yield; capitulate; give up.

Origin of craven

1175–1225; Middle English cravant, cravaunde defeated < Old French craventé, past participle of cravanter to crush, overwhelm (< Vulgar Latin *crepantāre), influenced by Middle English creaunt defeated (see recreant)

OTHER WORDS FROM craven

cra·ven·ly, adverb cra·ven·ness, noun un·cra·ven, adjective

Words nearby craven

craunch, cravat, cravat bandage, crave, craveable, craven, craving, craw, craw-thumper, crawdad, crawdaddy

Words related to cravenness

pusillanimity, timidity, fearfulness, cowardliness

Example sentences from the Web for cravenness

  • She had a fine spirit; it did not know defeat or cravenness.

    Double Harness |Anthony Hope

  • The boy was the bear-hunter in miniature, strong and hearty, and a stranger to all cravenness.

    Boris the Bear-Hunter |Fred Whishaw

  • They stood ready to obey his slightest wish––not with cravenness, but with quick reversion to the faith of their ancestors.

    The Web of the Golden Spider |Frederick Orin Bartlett

  • It is very frequently set down as pusillanimity and cravenness of spirit.

    Friends and Neighbors |Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for cravenness

craven
/ (ˈkreɪvən) /

adjective

cowardly; mean-spirited

noun

a coward

Derived forms of craven

cravenly, adverb cravenness, noun

Word Origin for craven

C13 cravant, probably from Old French crevant bursting, from crever to burst, die, from Latin crepāre to burst, crack