misbegotten

American  

[mis-bi-got-n] / ˌmɪs bɪˈgɒt n /

Also misbegot

adjective

1. unlawfully or irregularly begotten; born of unmarried parents; illegitimate.

   his misbegotten son.

2. badly conceived, made, or carried out.

   his misbegotten plan.

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misbegotten British  

/ ˌmɪsbɪˈɡɒtən /

adjective

1. unlawfully obtained

   misbegotten gains

2. badly conceived, planned, or designed

   a misbegotten scheme

3. Also: misbegot.  literary illegitimate; bastard

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Etymology

Origin of misbegotten

First recorded in 1540–50; mis- ¹ + begotten

Explanation

If you describe something as misbegotten, you think it had an improper basis or was poorly conceived — like the misbegotten dress code at your school, which requires students to wear long sleeves even in hot, humid weather. The adjective misbegotten, which commonly means "badly planned," used to have another use: it was a derogatory way to describe someone born to unmarried parents. It's extremely old fashioned to use the word that way, but you may come across it in an older book — describing a misbegotten heroine, for example. Misbegotten can also be used simply to mean "contemptible," as in "That misbegotten villain stole my grandmother's purse!"

Example Sentences

Sal quietly seethes with irritation at Sonny’s misbegotten machinations, his chilly demeanor suggesting a tense and potentially dangerous volatility.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

His activism earned him the lasting enmity of those who supported the misbegotten war.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 11, 2024

Will Congress ever investigate this misbegotten operation and finally nail down the chain of events?

From Salon • Aug. 3, 2024

It was another, unforeseen legacy of this misbegotten program that we may soon regret.

From Slate • Feb. 15, 2024

He planted the seed of Helene being in love with me in my head, and now it's sprouted like a misbegotten weed from hell.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir