DictionaryAI

craven

USKRAY-vuhn/ˈkɹeɪ.vən/

Noun pluralcravens

Verbcravens, cravening, cravened

3 meanings of craven

Practice

  1. 1
    adjective
    Very cowardly, with no courage at all and not willing to fight.

    It was craven of him to run away and leave his friend alone.

    The captain made a craven excuse instead of admitting her mistake.

    Similarcowardly, spineless, gutless, chicken, yellow

    Oppositebrave, courageous, bold, valiant

    Note
  2. 2
    nounarchaic
    A person who has no courage.

    Only a craven would refuse to defend his own village.

    He is a craven and a villain else.
    1599, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”Here, craven means a coward, a person with no courage.

    Similarcoward, chicken, milquetoast

    Note
  3. 3
    verbarchaic
    To make someone lose all their courage.

    Do not let fear craven you.

    There is a prohibition so divine / That cravens my weak hand.
    1611, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”Here, cravens means makes someone lose all courage.
    Note

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Origin

It comes from the Middle English word cravant, which came from older words meaning “defeated”.