juh-JOON
(adjective) Naive, simplistic, or lacking in substance or interest.
The essay was well-structured but jejune in its ideas.
Fun Fact
Though it sounds like it should mean “youthful” or “light,” jejune is actually used as a literary insult. Derived from Latin jejunus, meaning “empty of food,” it now refers to writing or arguments that feel starved of insight, originality, or maturity.
KRAY-vin
(adjective) Contemptibly lacking in courage; cowardly.
His craven refusal to stand up for his beliefs disappointed his supporters.
Middle English: from Old French “cravant” meaning “defeated or overcome,” past participle of “cravanter” meaning “to crush or overwhelm.”
Fun Fact
Craven goes beyond simple cowardice into contemptible territory—it’s cowardice that deserves scorn. Medieval knights accused of craven behavior faced public humiliation and loss of honor. The word originally described someone completely defeated or crushed in battle, and that sense of total collapse remains. In Shakespeare’s hands, craven became the ultimate insult for warriors who fled rather than fought. Modern usage preserves that moral judgment: calling someone craven suggests not just fear but shameful abdication of duty or principle when courage was required.
Today's Word Multitudinous mul-tih-TOO-dih-nus Definition (adjective) Very numerous; existing in...
Read More