Dastardly

Characterized by cowardly and treacherous behavior; villainous, wicked, and mean. It often implies a sneaky or underhanded act intended to inflict harm or suffering. The term suggests a lack of courage and integrity, typically associated with a villainous character in stories or real life. The action described is usually morally reprehensible and done without any sense of honor or fairness. The dastardly act is often designed to exploit or deceive others for personal gain.

Dastardly meaning with examples

• The villain's dastardly plan involved poisoning the town's water supply, a truly horrific act designed to cause widespread suffering and chaos among the innocent citizens.
• In a dastardly betrayal, the trusted advisor secretly plotted against the king, hoping to usurp the throne through deceit and manipulation in the dead of night.
• The swindler's dastardly scheme focused on exploiting the elderly, convincing them to invest their life savings in a fraudulent pyramid scheme with false promises.
• With a dastardly grin, the pirate captain ordered his crew to seize the defenseless merchant ship, intending to steal their goods and leave them adrift at sea.
• The school bully committed a dastardly act by spreading malicious rumors about a classmate, causing widespread embarrassment and isolation throughout the school community.