badass

American  

[bad-as] / ˈbædˌæs /

adjective

1. (of a person) difficult to deal with; mean-tempered and sometimes violent.

2. so tough, assertive, or independent as to be somewhat intimidating.

   He is one badass sheriff who stops at nothing to solve a mystery.

3. awesome or impressive; worthy of admiration: a bluegrass band with a badass fiddler.

   badass American sports cars;

   a bluegrass band with a badass fiddler.

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noun

1. a mean-tempered troublemaker.

2. a somewhat intimidating person who is tough, assertive, or independent.

   She’s a corporate badass who knows her worth.

badass British  

/ ˈbædˌæs /

noun

1. a tough or aggressive person

   the meanest badass in town

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adjective

1. tough or aggressive

   a badass rock band

2. excellent

   a real badass watch

Etymology

Origin of badass

First recorded in 1950–55; bad ¹ + ass ²

Example Sentences

It’s 1981, and Quatro, a pint-sized, leather-clad, four-string-plucking badass, may be the first to feature lipstick in a music video.

From Salon • Feb. 19, 2026

Just for a moment, I wanted to join the badass gang that made subversive movies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

And she makes decisions that we don’t agree with, but I think one thing we all can agree on is that she’s a badass.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2026

"Not because I'm lying about anything, but because I'm a badass," she added.

From BBC • Jan. 14, 2026

Either he was badass, or I was dreaming.

From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia