craven

adjective cra·ven \ ˈkrā-vən \

Updated on: 22 Apr 2018

Definition of craven

1 archaic : defeated, vanquished

2 : lacking the least bit of courage : contemptibly fainthearted

… craven mercenaries who would not fight …
—Thomas Fleming

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craven

noun

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cravenly

adverb

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cravenness

play \ˈkrā-vən-nəs\ noun

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craven was our Word of the Day on 12/17/2007. Hear the podcast!

Examples of craven in a Sentence

a craven refusal to deliver the unwelcome news personally

Recent Examples of craven from the Web

For Iannucci, who loves to mock the craven, unprincipled pursuit of power, the scenario is an antic delight and plays to his talent for hectic plot turns and (pardon the expression) rapid-fire dialogue.

— gary thompson, Philly.com, "'Death of Stalin': See it because Putin doesn't want you to, and because it's funny," 21 Mar. 2018
But the craven bunch on Capitol Hill are too busy kowtowing to the NRA to do much of anything.

— Washington Post, "Putting kids last: A time-honored Washington tradition," 15 Mar. 2018
The stakes are very different in The Death of Stalin, but the craven power struggles are recognizable, because, like laughter, these are behaviors that cut across cultures.

— sophie pinkham, The New Republic, "The Provocative Brilliance of The Death of Stalin," 29 Mar. 2018
To appreciate how Iannucci makes this craven spectacle hilarious — while never downplaying the mass murders and incarcerations of Stalin’s tyranny — would require many spoilers.

— frank rich, Daily Intelligencer, "There’s a Hopeful New Path for Gun Politics in America," 1 Mar. 2018
In a time when influencers are often criticized for their craven relationships with brands, Jackie Aina is keeping everyone honest.

— ashley weatherford, The Cut, "Jackie Aina on Fenty Beauty, Her Walk-in Closet, and Really Good Masks," 26 Feb. 2018
Activists portrayed the law as a craven attempt to exonerate Netanyahu and an assault on the rule of law.

— noa cnaan-on, Washington Post, "Israelis have been protesting government corruption for 61 weeks," 5 Feb. 2018
Mitt Romney is a spineless craven politician thirsty for any semblance of relevance after America rejected his brand of disingenuous, sanctimonious leadership.

— jason johnson, The Root, "Mitt Romney Is America’s Thirstiest Politician," 21 Feb. 2018
Angry voices take an extraordinarily complex social, cultural, and political phenomenon, boil it down to preferred progressive policy provisions, and then declare everyone who opposes their ideas a craven weakling in thrall to the NRA.

— david french, National Review, "No, It’s Not Cowardly to Be Conservative on Gun Rights," 15 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'craven.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Craven and its synonyms "dastardly" and "pusillanimous" are all basically fancy words for "cowardly." Don't be afraid to use them - here's a little information to help you recognize the subtle distinctions in their connotations. "Craven" suggests extreme defeatism and complete lack of resistance. One might speak of "craven yes-men." "Dastardly" often implies behavior that is both cowardly and treacherous or skulking or outrageous, as in this example: "a dastardly attack on unarmed civilians." "Pusillanimous" suggests a contemptible lack of courage (e.g., "After the attack, one editorialist characterized the witnesses as 'the pusillanimous bystanders'").