craven
craven — adjective
- cravenpositive
- more cravencomparative
- most cravensuperlative
1. completely without courage, in a way that makes people lose respect
completely without courage, in a way that makes people lose respect
Javier's craven silence while his colleague took the blame shocked everyone in the office.
craven + silence: describing a failure to act when action was needed
Dimitri called the retreat a craven surrender that brought shame to the entire regiment.
Amara told her brother that hiding the truth from their parents was a craven choice.
When the boat began to sink, the craven captain grabbed the only lifeboat for himself.
The newspaper called the mayor's sudden policy reversal a craven attempt to win votes.
- cowardly
less intense and more everyday; simply means lacking courage without the strong contempt
- spineless
informal; suggests a complete lack of moral backbone
- pusillanimous
very formal, similar register but emphasises timidity more than contemptibility
- valiant
suggests bravery in the face of danger, often in a heroic context
文法句型
craven + noun
用法筆記
This is a literary and formal word, much stronger than cowardly. It expresses moral condemnation, not just an observation of fear. Typically used attributively (before a noun) rather than predicatively.
craven — noun
- cravensingular
- cravensplural
1. a person who has no courage and will do anything to stay safe, even if it means
a person who has no courage and will do anything to stay safe, even if it means abandoning others
Keiko refused to work with a craven who would let others take the blame every time.
a craven who + clause: defining a person by their cowardly actions
The villagers called Old Man Hendrik a craven for hiding in his cellar during the raid.
Only a craven would leave a wounded friend behind on the mountain trail.
Fatima said she would rather fail alone than follow a craven into the meeting.
The story's hero turns out to be a craven who lied about his wartime deeds.
用法筆記
Used as a countable noun. It labels a person with strong moral disapproval — stronger than simply calling someone a coward.