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bloatware

American  
[bloht-wair] / ˈbloʊt wɛər /

noun

Computers.
  1. unwanted software that is preinstalled on a newly bought device, especially when it negatively impacts the device's performance.

    Thankfully, the smartphone doesn't come with much bloatware, only a few preloaded apps.

  2. software that uses an excessive amount of space and memory.

    It used to be a good antivirus program, but it's turned into bloatware.


Etymology

Origin of bloatware

First recorded in 1990–95; bloat ( def. ) + -ware ( def. )


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:

Just be aware that it does come with preinstalled bloatware, and the display isn’t particularly bright, which could be a problem if you need to do more artistic work or video editing.

From The Verge ● Jun. 29, 2022

The touchpad feels stiff, and the laptop does contain some preinstalled bloatware.

From The Verge ● Jun. 29, 2022

Although I appreciate that this phone is running a mostly unmodified version of Android 11, the Celero is unfortunately full of bloatware.

From The Verge ● Jan. 20, 2022

Tap or click here for a list of bloatware apps you didn’t even know were slowing down your phone.

From Fox News ● Dec. 18, 2021

Another wrote: "This is a terrible bloatware baked directly into the browser."

From BBC ● Dec. 1, 2021

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