Synonyms of craven

craven 1 of 2

adjective

ˈkrā-vən 

as in afraid

having or showing a shameful lack of courage

a craven refusal to deliver the unwelcome news personally

Synonyms & Similar Words

• afraid
• cowardly
• pusillanimous
• scared
• frightened
• gutless
• spineless
• dastardly
• yellow
• unheroic
• careful
• timid
• fearful
• recreant
• lily-livered
• poltroon
• chickenhearted
• chicken
• weak
• cautious
• timorous
• milk-livered
• diffident
• feeble
• wary
• chicken-livered
• fainthearted
• bashful
• coy
• unmanly
• shy
• soft

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• brave
• heroic
• daring
• fearless
• valiant
• courageous
• hardy
• gallant
• intrepid
• brazen
• valorous
• stout
• dauntless
• stalwart
• gutsy
• bold
• audacious
• cheeky
• heroical
• spirited
• stouthearted
• doughty
• lionhearted
• plucky
• resolute
• greathearted
• nervy
• spunky
• determined

craven

2 of 2

noun

as in coward

a person who shows a shameful lack of courage in the face of danger

a craven who ran away and left everyone else behind to deal with the crisis

Synonyms & Similar Words

• coward
• poltroon
• dastard
• chicken
• sissy
• cur
• funk
• snake
• recreant
• defeatist
• milquetoast
• weakling
• wimp
• caitiff
• pussy
• quitter
• cream puff
• sneak
• pushover
• scaramouche
• ostrich
• scaramouch

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hero
• valiant
• stalwart
• daredevil

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective craven differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of craven are cowardly, dastardly, and pusillanimous. While all these words mean "having or showing a lack of courage," craven suggests extreme defeatism and complete lack of resistance.

secretly despised her own craven yes-men

When can cowardly be used instead of craven?

The words cowardly and craven can be used in similar contexts, but cowardly implies a weak or ignoble lack of courage.

a cowardly failure to stand up for principle

When could dastardly be used to replace craven?

Although the words dastardly and craven have much in common, dastardly often implies behavior that is both cowardly and treacherous or skulking or outrageous.

a dastardly attack on unarmed civilians

In what contexts can pusillanimous take the place of craven?

While in some cases nearly identical to craven, pusillanimous suggests a contemptible lack of courage.

the pusillanimous fear of a future full of possibility

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of craven

Adjective

From the ground, the social-media response looked self-interested and craven, a reminder of the dissonance between the two realities. —Emily Witt, The New Yorker, 9 Jan. 2025

Fresh off a terrifying election cycle that feels like a fever dream (or the most craven Ryan Murphy series), America in 2025 is downright disorienting. —Christopher Rosa, Glamour, 14 Feb. 2025

Trump has already turned a national tragedy into a craven, baseless political attack by blaming DEI programs at the FAA and past administrations. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025

Between the lines: One view is that these actions are simply craven pandering. —Felix Salmon, Axios, 13 Jan. 2025

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