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

badasses plural

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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• badasses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of badass

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

Example Sentences

Krista Almqvist, Badass Animal Rescue’s executive director, estimates that about 65 percent of the organization’s foster applications come through social media.

From Slate • Sep. 4, 2025

The hearings also gave us the Best Badass moment of the year: behind-the-scenes footage of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi when the Capitol was under siege.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2022

The founder of Bonnie Marcus Leadership in Santa Barbara, California, she coaches women on how to advance their careers and hosts the podcast Badass Women at Any Age.

From BBC • Sep. 12, 2020

Matching containers look great for Instagram and Pinterest, but Katrina Green, founder of Badass Homelife in Sacramento, wants to relieve would-be organizers of the pressure of uniformity.

From Washington Post • Aug. 14, 2020

I can count on one hand the times I’ve talked to my father like this, but maybe it’s the magic of Badass Finch, because I’m not one bit afraid of him.

From "All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven