badass

[bad-as]Slang: Vulgar.

See more synonyms for badass on Thesaurus.com

adjective Also bad·assed.

(of a person) difficult to deal with; mean-tempered; touchy.
distinctively tough or powerful; so exceptional as to be intimidating.

noun

a mean-tempered troublemaker.

Origin of badass

First recorded in 1960–65; bad¹ + ass²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for badass

agitator, rebel, demagogue, dissident, fighter, sparkplug, renegade, frondeur

Examples from the Web for badass

Contemporary Examples of badass

This is a new version of Catman, his past is yet to be told, but an ordeal made him not just badass, but flawed, deeply flawed.
Gail Simone’s Bisexual Catman and the ‘Secret Six’
Rich Goldstein
December 6, 2014
The Daily Beast spoke to Dormer about her badass new role and all things Game of Thrones.
Natalie Dormer Talks ‘Hunger Games,’ Feminism, and Why ‘Game of Thrones’ Needs More Dick
Marlow Stern
November 21, 2014
It can happen to the guy playing a badass on Sons of Anarchy.
Ron Perlman's Secret Suicide Attempt
William O’Connor
October 28, 2014
She is a badass who can take down any opponent that stands in her way, regardless of gender.
Bayonetta Is Nintendo’s Graphic, Ass-Kicking Barbie
Alec Kubas-Meyer
October 24, 2014
For a second there, diehard conservatives thought the Texas governor was something of a badass.
Tea Party Unloads on 'Complete Imbecile' Rick Perry
Olivia Nuzzi
September 4, 2014

British Dictionary definitions for badass

badass

noun

a tough or aggressive personthe meanest badass in town

adjective

tough or aggressivea badass rock band
excellenta real badass watch

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for badass

"tough guy," 1950s U.S. slang, from bad + ass (n.2).