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
Dickinson came close, but was unfortunately outdone by dastardly Internet gamesmanship.
—
Frederick Dreier, Outside, 30 Jan. 2026
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
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Frederick Dreier, Outside, 30 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for dastardly
Cite this Entry
“Dastardly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dastardly. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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