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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.

Just note, however, that it does come with bloatware that can be challenging to uninstall, and we found the 16:9 screen relatively cramped and dim.

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

There are a few possibilities for how this could play out: In one scenario, this app is purely seen as bloatware, and Galaxy users refuse to tap into it.

From The Verge • Nov. 9, 2021

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