dud
- a device, person, or enterprise that proves to be a failure.
- a shell or missile that fails to explode after being fired.
Origin of dud
Synonyms for dud
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comduds
- clothes, especially a suit of clothes.
- belongings in general.
Origin of duds
Examples from the Web for dud
Contemporary Examples of dud
His clothing line that his friend described as “upscale and urban” was a dud.
The Hollywood Reporter said the film was a dud, but Holmes plays neatly against type.
She turns in dud stories, misses deadlines, and is prone to occasionally sleeping with her young, struggling musician sources.
Toni Collette on ‘The Realistic Joneses,’‘Lucky Them,’ and Crying in ‘The Sixth Sense’Melissa Leon
June 1, 2014
The prank itself seems meaningless, and the reaction was un-extraordinary: all in all, a dud.
An Analysis of Vitalii Sediuk’s Pranks (He’s the Guy Who Touched Brad Pitt)Amy Zimmerman
May 29, 2014
Reviews seemed to range a short spectrum between turnip (a dud, in the French parlance) and not-a-complete-turnip.
Historical Examples of dud
For a time it seemed as though Brent's bombshell had been a dud.
Ten From InfinityPaul W. Fairman
Let's get busy—we're altogether too close to that dud there to suit me.
The Skylark of SpaceEdward Elmer Smith and Lee Hawkins Garby
But there were exceptions, and Dud Fielding was one of them.
KillykinickMary T. Waggaman
Cut the whole lot,” said Dud, “just as soon as I can get money enough to do it.
KillykinickMary T. Waggaman
It was Dud who had been swept over into those foaming, seething depths.
KillykinickMary T. Waggaman
dud
- a person or thing that proves ineffectual or a failure
- a shell, etc, that fails to explode
- (plural) old-fashioned clothes or other personal belongings
- failing in its purpose or functiona dud cheque
Word Origin for dud
Word Origin and History for dud
c.1825, "person in ragged clothing," from duds (q.v.). Sense extended by 1897 to "counterfeit thing," and 1908 to "useless, inefficient person or thing." This led naturally in World War I to "shell which fails to explode," and thence to "expensive failure."
duds
c.1300, dudde "cloak, mantle," later in plural, "ragged clothing" (1560s), of uncertain origin.