dud

1 of 2

noun

1
duds plural
a
b
: personal belongings
2
a
: one that is ineffectual
also : failure
a box-office dud
b
: misfit
3
: a bomb or missile that fails to explode

dud

2 of 2

adjective

: of little or no worth : valueless
dud checks

Examples of dud in a Sentence

Noun The seeds must have been duds because the plants never grew. She put on her new duds for the party.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Last season was a dud — Maryland’s second under .500 season in three years. Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 17 Mar. 2025 The result was a dud of a game for the defending conference tournament champions. Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Duplass’ Michael is a dud, sorta sweet but totally spineless. Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2025 After back-to-back losses— a dud performance and a choke job — San Francisco played a team wholly inferior in the New England Patriots. Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 29 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for dud

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English dudde

First Known Use

Noun

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1899, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dud was in 1567

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dud.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dud. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

dud

noun
ˈdəd
1
plural
b
: personal belongings
2
: a complete failure
the movie was a dud
3
: a missile (as a bomb or shell) that fails to explode

More from Merriam-Webster on dud

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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