as in cowardly
having or showing a shameful lack of courage
his dastardly conduct in a critical moment haunted him for the rest of his life
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Recent Examples of dastardly
View second photo for some insight on his dastardly ways.
—
Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
In the Disney+ series of the same name, rebellious princess Kit (Bottoms’ Ruby Cruz) sets off on a dangerous quest to rescue her twin brother from dastardly forces of evil.
—Abby Monteil, Them., 15 Oct. 2025
Even Hinch, who has done his best to project calm and confidence during this dastardly stretch, made one of his most questionable decisions in five years managing the Tigers.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
Blanc is trying to put together a puzzle, but most of its pieces are rooted in the human foibles that drive people to do dastardly things.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dastardly
Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
In the Disney+ series of the same name, rebellious princess Kit (Bottoms’ Ruby Cruz) sets off on a dangerous quest to rescue her twin brother from dastardly forces of evil.
—Abby Monteil, Them., 15 Oct. 2025
Even Hinch, who has done his best to project calm and confidence during this dastardly stretch, made one of his most questionable decisions in five years managing the Tigers.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
Blanc is trying to put together a puzzle, but most of its pieces are rooted in the human foibles that drive people to do dastardly things.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dastardly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dastardly
Adjective
-
Political courage is needed, especially from the cowardly, groveling Congress.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
18 Jan. 2026
-
Therefore, the cowardly officer could’ve later arrested her or simply disabled the vehicle by shooting out a tire with the same accuracy.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Hilary Duff isn't afraid to lean into nostalgia.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
20 Jan. 2026
-
To create a fresh look, Lynch says not to be afraid to mix and match patterns and colors.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
So does the craven poor judgment required by any public officials who hire him.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Dec. 2025
-
Unlike their cynical and craven counterparts in Texas, a majority of Indiana Republican state senators understood that short-term electoral gains weren’t worth sacrificing their principles.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
16 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Children are particularly vulnerable due to their smaller size and natural reaction when scared.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Children of color are scared to be out on the streets and in their cars.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
His employees are too frightened to come to work.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 Jan. 2026
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Because of a decision made decades before by frightened parents, these babies may grow up to suffer the misery of cancer — and, always, the risk of passing the curse of illness to future generations.—
Emilie G.C. Thompson,
STAT,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Some also have lost lawyers, dismayed by the pusillanimous behavior of their leaders.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2025
-
The second believed the United States could attain comprehensive security through military-technological means and saw diplomacy as a quixotic or pusillanimous enterprise that dishonored and weakened the country.—
A. Wess Mitchell,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
While seemingly innocuous, the approach would have been concerning enough for just about anybody in those circumstances to set off a red flag, or at least raise a yellow one.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Jan. 2026
-
From March 1 through May 10, 2026, nearly 80 million flowers blanket the rolling hills of North San Diego County in 13 vibrant shades including red, pink, orange, yellow and white.—
Ut Community Press,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
That larger significance is remarkably unheroic and fatalistic.—
Gabriel Winslow-Yost,
Harper's Magazine,
23 Sep. 2024
-
In the world of The Boys, based on the gleefully scabrous 2000s indie comic-book series of the same name by writer Garth Ennis and artist Darick Robertson, superheroes are real, pop-culture-dominating, and with rare exceptions, entirely unheroic.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
13 June 2024
Cite this Entry
“Dastardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dastardly. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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