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The word for today is…
craven (adjective):
1: lacking the least bit of courage : contemptibly fainthearted
2 archaic : defeated, vanquished
Source : Merriam -Webster
Etymology : Craven and its synonyms dastardly and pusillanimous are all basically fancy words for "cowardly." Craven suggests extreme defeatism and complete lack of resistance. One might speak of "craven yes-men." Dastardly often implies behaviour 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, as in "After the attack, one editorialist characterised the witnesses as 'the pusillanimous bystanders.'" Craven comes from the Middle English cravant and was first used in the 13th century.
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