craven

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The Word of the Day for December 17 is:=20

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

=20

Example sentence:
          Lavinia thought it was craven of Alex to cave into pressure an=
d 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 distinctio=
ns in their connotations. "Craven" suggests extreme defeatism and comple=
te 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 civil=
ians." "Pusillanimous" suggests a contemptible lack of courage (e.g., "A=
fter the attack, one editorialist characterized the witnesses as 'the pu=
sillanimous bystanders'").





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