dastardly

[ das-terd-lee ]

adjective

1. cowardly; meanly base; sneaking:

   a dastardly act.

dastardly

/ ˈdæstədlɪ /

adjective

1. mean and cowardly

Derived Forms

• ˈdastardliness, noun

Other Words From

• dastard·li·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of dastardly¹

First recorded in 1560–70; dastard + -ly

Example Sentences

Spider-Man foiled Lizard’s dastardly plan to turn humanity scaly and turned him back into Connors using an antidote.

From Time

Full of eccentric characters and dastardly schemes, this is a tale of how wealth erodes family connections.

From Time

Although the casting of Brown led to a re-imagined Louise, and two of Rob’s dastardly deeds from the book were dropped, the series otherwise hews closely to the book’s narrative.

From Washington Post

There may be no such thing as a mess-free meal when it comes to babies and toddlers chowing down however, there are a ton of things you can do to help minimize dastardly spills that can get all over your baby and your floor.

From Popular-Science

Related Words

• contemptible
• cowardly
• despicable
• underhanded
• vile