badger
Americannoun
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any of various burrowing, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, as Taxidea taxus, of North America, and Meles meles, of Europe and Asia.
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the fur of this mammal.
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Australian.
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a wombat.
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(initial capital letter) a native or inhabitant of Wisconsin the Badger State (used as a nickname).
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a swablike device for cleaning excess mortar from the interiors of newly laid tile drains.
verb (used with object)
noun
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any of various stocky omnivorous musteline mammals of the subfamily Melinae , such as Meles meles ( Eurasian badger ), occurring in Europe, Asia, and North America: order Carnivora (carnivores). They are typically large burrowing animals, with strong claws and a thick coat striped black and white on the head Compare ferret badger hog badger
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another name for ratel
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has badgeredperfect 3rd person singular
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have badgeredperfect
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have been badgeringperfect progressive
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has been badgeringperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is badgeringprogressive 3rd person singular
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badgerssingular 3rd person
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are badgeringprogressive
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am badgeringprogressive 1st person singular
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badgeringparticiple
Past
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had badgeredperfect
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badgeredsimple
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were badgeringprogressive plural
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had been badgeringperfect progressive
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was badgeringprogressive singular
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badgeredparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of badger
1515–25; variant of badgeard, perhaps badge + -ard, in allusion to white mark or badge on head
Explanation
Badger is to bother. Persistently. On and on. Without stop. Relentlessly. Over and over. Endlessly. It comes from the name of that chipmunk-like animal that burrows into the ground. If you badger someone, you get under their skin. A badger is an animal that digs tunnels under ground to keep warm. To badger can also mean to persuade someone through constant annoying efforts. You might badger your mom to add another hour to your curfew or badger your friend to give you a turn with a video game he has been hogging.
Vocabulary lists containing badger
A Vocabulary Bestiary: Animals That Behave as Verbs
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The Cay
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Amazing Animals, A-Z
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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.
“Open as usual but dressed for filming” read a sign in the window of the Stripey Badger Bookshop, Coffee Shop and Kitchen.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
One CGL regular was Ben Brust, a former Wisconsin Badger who started alongside NBA first-round draft picks.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
Taylor is a Wisconsin Badger, and the cynical among you probably think this gives me a cheap way to mention Wisconsin’s upset of No. 23 Washington on Saturday.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 10, 2025
Known as Dachstag, or Badger Day, it was believed that if a badger refused to emerge from its home, locals were in for four more weeks of snow.
From BBC • Feb. 2, 2025
“I’m sure it’s not a tree, ’ said the Badger.
From "The Magician's Nephew" by C. S. Lewis
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.
