Standard Lemma guide

dastardly

adj · adv · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈdɑːstədli/
  • UK: /ˈdæstədli/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ˈdæstɚdli/
  • CMU ARPABET: D AE1 S T ER0 D L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: gutless, nithing, spineless, backboneless, base, bitch-ass, boneless, caitiff, candy-assed, chicken, chicken-hearted, chicken-livered, chickenshit, courageless, cowardish, cowardly, cowardy, cowhearted, cowish, craven, cravenhearted, cringey, dastard, dastardly, dickless, dough-faced, fainthearted, fearful, fraidy, gizzardless, heartless, invalorous, invertebrate, hen-hearted, kiasi, lily-livered, liver-faced, liver-hearted, low-hearted, miching, milky, milk-livered, mouse-hearted, mousy, nerveless, niddering, nidering, niding, nutless, pigeon-livered, poltroonish, poor-spirited, punk, pusillanimous, pussylike, ratlike, rabbit-hearted, recrayed, retromingent, sissy, timid, timorous, unhearty, weak-kneed, white-hearted, white-livered, wimpish, yellow, yellow-bellied

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Treacherous; given to backstabbing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Judaslike, ratlike, viperous, booky, dastardly, disleal, disloyal, double-crossing, double-dealing, double-faced, double-hearted, doublehearted, faithless, false, falseheart, false-hearted, guiled, guileful, hollow-hearted, illoyal, infidelitous, insidious, Judasly, nonfaithful, perfidious, proditorious, proditory, Punic, recreant, renegade, reptilian, reptitious, swike, traitorish, traitorlike, traitorly, traitorous, traitorsome, treacherous, treachersome, trothless, unfaithful, unleal, unloyal, unsteadfast, untrue, viperish

Antonyms: none provided

3

adv

Meaning 3

In a cowardly or treacherous fashion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Judasly, ratlike, traitorwise, dastardly, disloyally, false, falsely, perfidiously, proditoriously, traitorly, traitorously, treacherously, unfaithfully

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

despicably cowardly- F.D. Roosevelt

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on...December 7th

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dastard(a)

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English dastard Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-West Germanic *-līk Old English -līċ Middle English -ly English -ly English dastardly From dastard + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

1 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Spanish: ruin — Translations