badass
Americanadjective
-
(of a person) difficult to deal with; mean-tempered and sometimes violent.
-
so tough, assertive, or independent as to be somewhat intimidating.
He is one badass sheriff who stops at nothing to solve a mystery.
-
awesome or impressive; worthy of admiration: a bluegrass band with a badass fiddler.
badass American sports cars;
a bluegrass band with a badass fiddler.
noun
-
a mean-tempered troublemaker.
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a somewhat intimidating person who is tough, assertive, or independent.
She’s a corporate badass who knows her worth.
noun
adjective
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tough or aggressive
a badass rock band
-
excellent
a real badass watch
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of badass
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The University of Cambridge graduate proclaimed to all young girls watching on BBC TV: "You can be an academic badass and a track goddess."
From BBC ● Mar. 19, 2026
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
The point being that I should not expect to be a badass street officer on Day 1.
From Slate ● Jan. 13, 2026
“Make a movie where he is an absolute badass but also has some heart.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2025
“That’d be kind of badass, though, don’t you think?”
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
“That’s the thing about being a Raider, they’re badasses on the field, but they’re kittens off the field.”
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 15, 2022
They’re all badasses and we’re each other’s listening board.
From New York Times ● May 20, 2022
These would-be badasses of “Succession” can be hilarious to eavesdrop on.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 2, 2021
And to keep lighting that for generations to come, mis hijas y mis nietas, until the time all Latinas and indigenous women are seen for the queens and badasses we've always known we are.
From Salon ● Jan. 26, 2020
And of course, the kids—some adorable, and some badasses.
From "The Boy in the Black Suit" by Jason Reynolds
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
