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Synonyms

craven

American  
[krey-vuhn] / ˈkreɪ vən /

adjective

  1. cowardly; contemptibly timid; pusillanimous.

    Synonyms:
    timorous, fearful, dastardly

noun

  1. a coward.

verb (used with object)

  1. to make cowardly.

idioms

  1. cry craven, to yield; capitulate; give up.

craven British  
/ ˈkreɪvən /

adjective

  1. cowardly; mean-spirited

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a coward

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • cravenly adverb
  • cravenness noun
  • uncraven adjective

Etymology

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 ( recreant )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In a December 1904 message to Congress, Roosevelt disdained any “unmanly” inclination to a “peace of tyrannous terror, the peace of craven weakness, the peace of injustice.”

From Salon • Dec. 27, 2025

Musk said Sir Ed was "a craven coward".

From BBC • Sep. 15, 2025

More churlish souls might attribute such stubborn determination to craven commercial interests, but something more is in play.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2025

She might see it that way, but many voters — including those she most needs to impress — are more likely to see it as annoying and craven.

From Salon • Oct. 22, 2024

"I don't understand. If you are truly so craven, why are you here? Why would a coward want to join the Night's Watch?"

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.