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Make Your Point > Archived Issues > DASTARDLY

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pronounce DASTARDLY:

Say it "DASS terd ly."

To hear it, click here.

connect this word to others:

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Here's our word dastardly personified. Literally! 

From the folks at Hanna-Barbera, Dick Dastardly:


(Source)

Clearly, he's up to no good. I mean, look at the moustache! It's so pic____que: so roguish, so fitting for a sneaking, swashbuckling adventurer. Can you recall that word? 

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:
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The word "dastardly" might trace back to the word "daze."

In English, the oldest meaning of "dastard" is "a dull, stupid person," but it eventually grew to mean "a sneaky, cowardly person."

And today, to call something dastardly is to say that it's wicked, especially in a sneaky, cowardly way.

grammatical bits:
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Part of speech:

Adjective: "her dastardly grin;" "The plot was absolutely dastardly."

Other common forms: 

dastard(s), dastardliness

how to use it:
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"Dastardly" is the funny, semi-common word we pick when we need to exaggerate or be sarcastic about how bad, evil, and sneaky something is.

We talk about dastardly people and characters, as well as dastardly deeds, plots, plans, smiles, laughs, etc. Bwa ha ha ha!

examples:
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"It was one of those cartoon monster smiles, where the monster rubs his hands as he thinks of something dastardly."
   — Ernesto Quiñonez, Bodega Dreams, 2000

"Mr. Glass, one of those dastardly masterminds with a tragic past and psychotic ambitions who in another era would be twirling a mustache."

   — Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 17 January 2019

has this page helped you understand "dastardly"?

   

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.




study it:
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Explain the meaning of "dastardly" without saying "despicable" or "underhanded."

try it out:
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From Eoin Colfer's book Artemis Fowl:

"Artemis cracked his knuckles. Time to do what he did best--plot dastardly acts."

With Artemis in mind as an example, talk about another character (in fiction or real life) who's known for plotting dastardly acts.




before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for February is "Piece It Together."

Use your knowledge of the given terms to define a related, ultra-rare term.

For example, you could use your knowledge of CELLULAR and MULTUM IN PARVO ("a lot in a little") to define the ultra-rare PARVOCELLULAR as "small-celled."

To see the answer, scroll all the way down. Enjoy!

Try this last one today:

Use BON MOT, GRATUITOUS, and MALEVOLENT to define BON GRÉ MAL GRÉ.

review this word:
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1. The opposite of DASTARDLY is

A. BEAUTIFUL.
B. BRILLIANT.
C. HONORABLE.

2. The word "dastardly" is most likely to describe _____.


A. deeds, doings, and despots
B. dances, dresses, and debutantes
C. dreams, dragons, and derring-do




Answers to review questions:
1. C
2. A

Answer to the game question: BON GRÉ MAL GRÉ, literally "good grace [or] bad grace," means "whether you like it or not, willingly or unwillingly." Much like our term NOLENS VOLENS.


a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
   36 ways to study words.
   Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
   How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.

To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.


Disclaimer:
When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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