Synonyms of dastardly

dastardly

adjective

ˈda-stərd-lē 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cowardly
• afraid
• craven
• scared
• frightened
• pusillanimous
• yellow
• unheroic
• careful
• gutless
• spineless
• recreant
• timid
• lily-livered
• fearful
• poltroon
• chicken
• cautious
• chickenhearted
• weak
• timorous
• milk-livered
• feeble
• chicken-livered
• diffident
• wary
• fainthearted
• coy
• bashful
• unmanly
• shy
• soft

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• heroic
• brave
• daring
• valiant
• gallant
• courageous
• fearless
• intrepid
• hardy
• dauntless
• valorous
• brazen
• stalwart
• bold
• stout
• gutsy
• audacious
• cheeky
• spirited
• doughty
• plucky
• stouthearted
• lionhearted
• greathearted
• spunky
• resolute
• nervy
• determined

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective dastardly differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of dastardly are cowardly, craven, and pusillanimous. While all these words mean "having or showing a lack of courage," dastardly often implies behavior that is both cowardly and treacherous or skulking or outrageous.

a dastardly attack on unarmed civilians

When is it sensible to use cowardly instead of dastardly?

The synonyms cowardly and dastardly are sometimes interchangeable, but cowardly implies a weak or ignoble lack of courage.

a cowardly failure to stand up for principle

Where would craven be a reasonable alternative to dastardly?

The words craven and dastardly can be used in similar contexts, but craven suggests extreme defeatism and complete lack of resistance.

secretly despised her own craven yes-men

When would pusillanimous be a good substitute for dastardly?

While the synonyms pusillanimous and dastardly are close in meaning, pusillanimous suggests a contemptible lack of courage.

the pusillanimous fear of a future full of possibility

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of dastardly

Even if the evil swarm cannot be stopped, the good swarm can deflect it and help save you from its dastardly efforts. —Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026

Having witnessed his parents' murder at a young age by the villainous Rufus Buck (Idris Elba), Love and his gang seek out the dastardly criminal, recently freed from prison. —Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026

The dastardly delicious reality show, The Traitors, is back with a vengeance for its fourth season, and my mom and I are devouring every episode while rapid-fire texting each other from our respective couches in Cleveland and Los Angeles. —Jamie Allison Sanders, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026

But the couple have yet to conceive an heir, so when Jerome absconds and his dashing friend Manfred (Galitzine) arrives with dastardly intentions, Hero (Corrin), Cherry’s wily and loyal maid, is forced to concoct a plan to distract Manfred by telling captivating stories about rebellious women. —Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2025