dastardly
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- dastardliness noun
Etymology
Origin of dastardly
Explanation
Someone who's dastardly is a scoundrel or a cowardly villain. A superhero might try to protect a city from a dastardly criminal mastermind. Use the adjective dastardly to describe a person or action that's underhanded and mean. Criminals, pirates, and bullies are all frequently called dastardly. An unprovoked military strike is also sometimes described as dastardly, referencing President Franklin Roosevelt's famous 1941 speech after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, which he called an "unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan." In the 1500s, dastardly meant "dull," from the now-obsolete dastard, "one who is lazy or dull."
Vocabulary lists containing dastardly
Rap Lyrics
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"The Ransom of Red Chief" by O. Henry
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Oh, No! Synonyms for "Bad"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The cabinet also said it "unequivocally condemns this dastardly and cowardly act that has led to the loss of innocent lives".
From BBC • Nov. 12, 2025
The Grossman Law Firm, which has offices in Southern California, outlines the reasons and means for removing a dastardly trustee such as your brother.
From MarketWatch • Nov. 11, 2025
Dabney Coleman, the beloved character actor who famously played the dastardly cad overseeing Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton in “9 to 5,” has died.
From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2024
There was no longer any need for a psychopath to be furtive about his dastardly designs.
From Salon • Feb. 19, 2024
The culprit is far too cunning to be apprehended for this dastardly deed.
From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
