dastard
/ˈdɑːstəd/
"dastard" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“dastard” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A malicious coward; a dishonorable sneak.
Corpus desk
Index EN-dastard · dastard · English
dastard · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 7 letters
- VOW-2 2 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "D" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | dastard |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈdɑːstəd/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “dastard” in English
Rare enough to double-check
dastard is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈdɑːstəd/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A malicious coward; a dishonorable sneak.".
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for dastard, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English dastard (“a dullard”), most likely formed from *dast, a base derived from Old Norse dæstr (“exhausted, breathless”) + -ard. Compare Icelandic dasaður (“exhausted”), dialectal Swedish däst (“weary”), Middle Dutch dasaert, daasaardt (“a fo… The correct English form is dastard, spelled D-A-S-T-A-R-D.
Definition
- 1A malicious coward; a dishonorable sneak.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how dastard appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
I thought ye would never have given out these arms till you had recovered your ancient freedom: but you are all recreants and dastards, and delight to live in slavery to the nobility.
The dastard, that did heare him selfe defyde, / Seem'd not to weigh his threatfull words at all, / But laught them out, as if his greater pryde, / Did scorne the challenge of so base a thrall: Or had not courage, or else had no gall.
Etymology
From Middle English dastard (“a dullard”), most likely formed from *dast, a base derived from Old Norse dæstr (“exhausted, breathless”) + -ard. Compare Icelandic dasaður (“exhausted”), dialectal Swedish däst (“weary”), Middle Dutch dasaert, daasaardt (“a fool”), English dazed (“stupefied”).
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.