not having or showing courage synonym cowardly opposite braveTopics Personal qualitiesc2胆小的;胆怯的;怯懦的 Word OriginMiddle English cravant ‘defeated’, perhaps via Anglo-Norman French from Old French cravante, past participle of cravanter ‘crush, overwhelm’, based on Latin crepare ‘burst’. The change in the ending in the 17th cent. was due to association with past participles ending in -en (see -en).