adj

craven

KRAY-vuhn

adj

Completely lacking courage; cowardly, especially in a shameful way.

"It was a craven act to abandon his team when things got difficult."

"The general condemned the craven retreat of his officers."

noun

A coward.

"He was branded a craven for fleeing at the first sign of trouble."

How to Use Craven

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishShamefully cowardly — a stronger, more judgmental word than simply "afraid."

When to use it

A literary or formal word; in everyday speech people usually just say "cowardly."

Common pairings

craven cowardice a craven act

Word Forms

more craven comparative, cravened past tense, cravens plural, cravens singular, most craven superlative

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It was a _____ act to abandon his team when things got difficult.

Etymology

From Middle English cravant, from Old French cravanté, "defeated" — the word originally meant someone who had been beaten, and later came to describe someone too cowardly to fight at all.

Rhymes for craven

raven haven heaven shaven

See all rhymes for craven →