craven

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The Word of the Day for December 17 is: 

craven   \KRAY-vun\   adjective
          : lacking the least bit of courage : contemptibly fainthearted
 

Example sentence:
          Lavinia thought it was craven of Alex to cave into pressure and 
retract his allegations instead of defending his position.

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'").





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