Dastardly

//ˈdæstɚdli// adj, adv

adj, adv ·Moderate ·High school level

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    In the manner of a dastard; marked by cowardice; pusillanimous.

    "I ask that the Congress declare, that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire."

  2. 2
    Treacherous; given to backstabbing.
Adjective
  1. 1
    despicably cowardly wordnet
Adverb
  1. 1
    In a cowardly or treacherous fashion.

Synonyms

All synonyms
ratlikebackbonelessbasebitch-assblackboneless

Example

More examples

"These dastardly acts will not go unpunished."

Etymology

From dastard + -ly.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.