dastardly — wicked and cruel; cowardly and underhanded
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: wicked and cruel; cowardly and underhanded
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈdæstərdli/
Example Sentences
- The dastardly cat knocked over the fishbowl and blamed it on the dog.
- His dastardly betrayal of his business partner shocked everyone.
- The dastardly pirate captain made his crew walk the plank for eating his cookies.
dastardly
ADJECTIVE[/ˈdæstərdli/]
wicked and cruel; cowardly and underhanded
The dastardly bandit cuts the rope bridge while travelers are still crossing it.
His skills are masterly, but his heart is dastardly!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Middle English 'dastard' (a cowardly person), likely derived from Old Norse 'dastr' meaning 'exhausted' or 'tired', combined with the pejorative suffix '-ard'. The adjective form '-ly' was added to create the adverbial/adjectival form.
Breakdown
dastard (coward, from Old Norse dastr) + -ard (pejorative suffix indicating a person) + -ly (adjectival/adverbial suffix) = dastardly
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The dastardly cat knocked over the fishbowl and blamed it on the dog.”
“His dastardly betrayal of his business partner shocked everyone.”
“The dastardly pirate captain made his crew walk the plank for eating his cookies.”
“She uncovered the company's dastardly plan to overcharge customers.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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