Bastard — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun adjective /ˈba-stərd/ bas·tard

Meaning & Definition of Bastard

Bastard (noun)

  1. a child born to parents who are not married to each other
  2. something that is spurious, irregular, inferior, or of questionable origin
  3. an offensive or disagreeable person —used as a generalized term of abuse

Bastard (adjective)

  1. born to parents who are not married to each other
  2. of mixed or ill-conceived origin
  3. of abnormal shape or irregular size

Bastard (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. falling short of a standard

    "a bastard knockoff of a far superior thriller"

    similar: bad, bush, bush-league, crummy, deficient, dissatisfactory, ill, inferior, lame, lousy, off, paltry, poor, punk, sour, suboptimal, subpar, substandard, unacceptable, unsatisfactory, wack (slang), wanting, wretched, wrong, below par, from hunger
    related: abysmal, atrocious, awful, bitchin' (slang), brutal, damnable, deplorable, detestable, disastrous, dreadful, execrable, gnarly (slang), horrendous, horrible, pathetic, stinky, sucky (slang), terrible, unspeakable, defective, faulty, flawed, egregious, flagrant, gross, bum, cheesy, coarse, common, crappy (slang), cut-rate, junky, lesser, low-grade, low-rent, mediocre, miserable, reprehensible, rotten, rubbishy, second-rate, shoddy, sleazy, trashy, abominable, odious, vile, useless, valueless, worthless, inadequate, insufficient, lacking, meager, mean, miserly, scanty, shabby, short, skimp, skimpy, spare, stingy, miscreant, scurrilous, villainous, counterfeit, fake, phony, sham
    opposite: acceptable, adequate, all right, decent, fine, OK, passable, respectable, satisfactory, standard, tolerable
    near: classic, classical, A1, bang-up, banner, boss (slang), capital, choice, crackerjack, dandy, divine, excellent, fabulous, first-class, first-rate, grand, great, groovy, heavenly, high-test, jim-dandy, keen, marvelous, mean, neat, nifty, noble, par excellence, perfect, premium, prime, sensational, slick, splendid, stellar, sterling, superb, superior, superlative, supernal, swell, terrific, tip-top, top, top-notch, unsurpassed, wonderful, better, exceptional, fancy, high-grade, special, sufficient, average, borderline, fair, mediocre, middling, minimal, so-so, unexceptional, suitable, useful, worthy, gratifying, satisfying

Bastard (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a person whose behavior is offensive to others

    "that bastard's behavior was completely out of line"

    similar: beast, bleeder (British), blighter (chiefly British), boor, bounder, bugger, buzzard, cad, chuff, churl, clown, creep, cretin, crud (slang), crumb (slang), cur, dirtbag (slang), dog, fink, heel, hound, jerk, joker, louse, lout, pill, rat, rat fink, reptile, rotter, schmuck (slang), scum, scumbag (slang), scuzzball (slang), skunk, sleaze, sleazebag (slang), sleazeball (slang), slime, slimeball (slang), slob, snake, so-and-so, sod (chiefly British), stinkard, stinker, swine, toad, varmint, vermin, son of a gun
    related: barbarian, brute, caveman, Neanderthal, savage, loudmouth, vulgarian, lowlife, miscreant, rascal, rogue, roughneck, scab, scamp, scoundrel, villain, wretch, booby, doofus (slang), fool, jackass, nincompoop, ninny, nit (chiefly British), nitwit, nut, schmo (slang), airhead, birdbrain, blockhead, dink (slang), dolt, dope, dork (slang), goon, half-wit, idiot, imbecile, moron, turkey, brat, insolent, nuisance, pest, snip, snob, snoot, snot, dweeb (slang), nerd
    near: hero, heroine, idol, role model, gentleman, lady, angel, saint

  2. an adult male human being

    "that lucky bastard has won the raffle three times in a row"

    similar: bloke (chiefly British), buck, cat, chap (chiefly British), chappie (British), dude, fella, fellow, galoot (slang), gent, gentleman, guy, hombre, jack, joe, joker, lad, male, man
    related: master, mister, sir, buddy, buster

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Bastard

The most common words with a similar meaning to Bastard:

Slang: wack, crud, crumb, dirtbag, schmuck, scumbag, scuzzball, sleazebag, sleazeball, slimeball, galoot
Chiefly British: blighter, sod, bloke, chap
British: bleeder, chappie
bad, bush, bush-league, crummy, deficient, dissatisfactory, ill, inferior, lame, lousy, off, paltry, poor, punk, sour, suboptimal, subpar, substandard, unacceptable, unsatisfactory, wanting, wretched, wrong, below par, from hunger, beast, boor, bounder, bugger, buzzard, cad, chuff, churl, clown, creep, cretin, cur, dog, fink, heel

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Bastard

Words with the opposite meaning of Bastard:

acceptable, adequate, all right, decent, fine, OK, passable, respectable, satisfactory, standard, tolerable

Related Words for Bastard

abysmal, atrocious, awful, bitchin', brutal, damnable, deplorable, detestable, disastrous, dreadful, execrable, gnarly, horrendous, horrible, pathetic, stinky, sucky, terrible, unspeakable, defective, faulty, flawed, egregious, flagrant, gross, bum, cheesy, coarse, common, crappy

Near Antonyms of Bastard

classic, classical, A1, bang-up, banner, boss, capital, choice, crackerjack, dandy, divine, excellent, fabulous, first-class, first-rate, grand, great, groovy, heavenly, high-test, jim-dandy, keen, marvelous, mean, neat, nifty, noble, par excellence, perfect, premium

Word Forms of Bastard

Inflections: bastards

Derived words: bastardly (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Bastard

Middle English, from Anglo-French, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Old Frisian bost marriage, Old English bindan to bind

First known use: 14th century

Words & Phrases Containing Bastard

bastard wing

Frequently Asked Questions about Bastard

What does "Bastard" mean?

"Bastard" means a child born to parents who are not married to each other. As an a noun and an adjective, it is defined as: a child born to parents who are not married to each other. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Bastard"?

Other words for "Bastard" include bad, bush, bush-league, crummy, deficient, dissatisfactory, ill and inferior. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Bastard" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Bastard"?

There are 219 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Bastard". Common alternatives include bad, bush, bush-league, crummy, deficient, dissatisfactory, ill, inferior, lame and lousy.

What is a slang word for "Bastard"?

Slang words for "Bastard" include wack, crud, crumb, dirtbag, schmuck and scumbag.

What is the opposite of "Bastard"?

Antonyms of "Bastard" include acceptable, adequate, all right, decent, fine, OK, passable and respectable. Near antonyms include classic, classical, A1 and bang-up.

How do you use "Bastard" in a sentence?

Examples of "Bastard" in a sentence: "a bastard knockoff of a far superior thriller"; "that bastard's behavior was completely out of line"; "that lucky bastard has won the raffle three times in a row".

Is "Bastard" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Bastard" can be used as a noun and an adjective, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Bastard"?

"Bastard" is pronounced /ˈba-stərd/ and divided into syllables as bas·tard.