dastardly
adjective
das·tard·ly
ˈda-stərd-lē 
1
: cowardly
2
: characterized by underhandedness or treachery
a dastardly attack
a dastardly villain
dastardliness
noun
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
The story has the dastardly president of the planet Spaceball (Brooks) trying to steal the oxygen from Planet Druidia.
—
Rance Collins,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 June 2026
His dastardly scheme involves using Kryptonian tech to build an all-new continent off the coast of Metropolis — even after all these years, he's still obsessed with real estate.
—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
28 June 2026
Kara and Ruthye figure out the Brigands are trafficking young women for dastardly purposes, giving them yet another reason to smack some dudes around.
—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
24 June 2026
My earliest World Cup memory—a six-year-old’s spiral of indignation and despair—is of Diego Maradona’s dastardly Hand of God, which eliminated England in the quarterfinals of the 1986 edition, in Mexico.
—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for dastardly
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Rance Collins,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 June 2026
His dastardly scheme involves using Kryptonian tech to build an all-new continent off the coast of Metropolis — even after all these years, he's still obsessed with real estate.
—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
28 June 2026
Kara and Ruthye figure out the Brigands are trafficking young women for dastardly purposes, giving them yet another reason to smack some dudes around.
—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
24 June 2026
My earliest World Cup memory—a six-year-old’s spiral of indignation and despair—is of Diego Maradona’s dastardly Hand of God, which eliminated England in the quarterfinals of the 1986 edition, in Mexico.
—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for dastardly
Cite this Entry
“Dastardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dastardly. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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