ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsCcraven
ISEE/SSAThard
craven
Meaning: lacking courage in a shameful way
craven in a sentence
How craven is used in real sentences:
The senator condemned the craven attack on an unarmed witness.
The general regarded surrendering without resistance as a craven choice.
“Mara feared that a craven compromise would preserve every unstable wall merely because officials lacked the courage to choose.”
— from the passage The Open Corner
“At the opposite extreme, he called silent submission craven, since fear of punishment would leave hungry sailors undefended.”
— from the passage The Officers' Correspondence
Synonyms for craven
Other words for craven — cowardly, timorous and pusillanimous — carry the same meaning.
- cowardly
- timorous
- pusillanimous
Antonyms of craven
Words that mean the opposite of craven:
- brave
- valiant
- fearless
Where it comes from
From Middle English cravant, meaning 'defeated.'
Memory hook
CRAVEN sounds like 'craving escape': a craven person flees from danger.