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dastard

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A despicable coward who also acts treacherously; combines cowardice with villainous behavior, making the person doubly contemptible and dishonorable.

Detailed Definition
“Dastard” combines moral and physical cowardice with deceit, worse than mere “craven.” In heroic poetry, it labels traitors who strike from shadows. The term’s harshness suits condemnation, often in curses or battle cries. Its archaic intensity makes it effective in epic or dramatic verse where honor demands open conflict, and hidden malice is the ultimate vice.
Example
Example in poetry:
"Thou dastard, strike me fairly!" challenges the knight; In Shakespeare’s Henry V: "Thou damned dastard!"; "A dastard hides behind words, not swords," a heroic code; Milton’s fallen angels are "dastardly" in deceit; "Call me not dastard for refusing unjust war"; The dastard fled when honor called.
Additional Notes
“Dastard” combines cowardice with treachery, implying moral baseness; in heroic poetry, dastards violate codes of honor, and their exposure often catalyzes vengeance or justice, marking them as anti-heroes or villains.
Also Known As
coward craven poltroon
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