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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:

And some of Lenovo’s preinstalled apps and bloatware like McAfee anti-virus software regularly serve annoying pop-ups on the corner of the screen.

From The Verge May 20, 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

This would make it a whole lot easier to recommend the Celero despite its shortcomings — shorter battery life, more bloatware, untested brand.

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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