dastardly

adjective

das·​tard·​ly ˈda-stərd-lē How to pronounce dastardly (audio)
1
2
: characterized by underhandedness or treachery
a dastardly attack
a dastardly villain
dastardliness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for dastardly

cowardly, pusillanimous, craven, dastardly mean having or showing a lack of courage.

cowardly implies a weak or ignoble lack of courage.

a cowardly failure to stand up for principle

pusillanimous suggests a contemptible lack of courage.

the pusillanimous fear of a future full of possibility

craven suggests extreme defeatism and complete lack of resistance.

secretly despised her own craven yes-men

dastardly often implies behavior that is both cowardly and treacherous or skulking or outrageous.

a dastardly attack on unarmed civilians

Examples of dastardly in a Sentence

a dastardly attack on innocent civilians his dastardly conduct in a critical moment haunted him for the rest of his life
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
LifeLock’s Home Title Monitoring warns of several variations of that dastardly attack. PCMAG, 27 Nov. 2024 If the evildoers weren’t readily allowed access to the AI, the barrier to their dastardly ways would be stiffened. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024 Ultimately, the fifth and most kindhearted Garvey sister, Grace (Anne-Marie Duff), got the job done, murdering her dastardly husband and staging what appeared to be an effective cover-up with the help of her sisters and neighbor Roger (Michael Smiley). Jen Chaney, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2024 The resulting Trump is so familiar that even his most dastardly behaviors feel a bit flat, and the film begins to bore. Sarah Jones, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dastardly 

Word History

First Known Use

1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dastardly was in 1542

Dictionary Entries Near dastardly

Cite this Entry

“Dastardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dastardly. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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