misbegotten
Americanadjective
-
unlawfully or irregularly begotten; born of unmarried parents; illegitimate.
his misbegotten son.
-
badly conceived, made, or carried out.
his misbegotten plan.
adjective
-
unlawfully obtained
misbegotten gains
-
badly conceived, planned, or designed
a misbegotten scheme
-
Also: misbegot. literary illegitimate; bastard
Etymology
Origin of misbegotten
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!"
Vocabulary lists containing misbegotten
The House of the Scorpion
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
A Storm of Swords
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
A Girl Named Disaster
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Another, entirely misbegotten, narrative thread relates the trip Mr. Enrigue took with his then-wife, the writer Valeria Luiselli, and their children to Arizona to pay homage to forgotten Apache warriors.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026
It wasn’t their fault that the wars they found themselves in were misbegotten and mismanaged.
From Salon • Aug. 10, 2025
Exhibitors are hoping that momentum holds despite also weathering several recent box office disappointments, such as Universal Pictures’ misbegotten spy thriller “Argylle” and Sony Pictures’ superhero disaster “Madame Web.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2024
It was another, unforeseen legacy of this misbegotten program that we may soon regret.
From Slate • Feb. 15, 2024
“No. Kufa and that misbegotten brother of Goré would find you in no time. Besides, Joao and Rosa can’t protect you. They are only two against hundreds. You must go to Zimbabwe.”
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
