dud

1 of 2

noun

ˈdəd 

1

duds plural

a

: clothing

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

Synonyms

Noun

• disaster
• failure
• disappointment
• catastrophe

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

Noun

Mehus brushed off reports that ordinary grunts regard the M7, designed by the German company Sig Sauer, as a clunky dud and complain of its heavy weight. —Seth Harp, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025

Thus far, it’s been a sales dud. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025

Adjective

The group has had big wins, but has also faced a string of dud votes in recent years. —Vivienne Walt, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025

Duplass’ Michael is a dud, sorta sweet but totally spineless. —Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2025

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

Rhymes for dud

• blood
• bud
• crud
• flood
• mud
• rud
• scud
• spud
• stud
• thud
• lifeblood
• youngblood

Kids Definition

dud

noun

ˈdəd

1

plural

a

: clothes sense 1

b

: personal belongings

2

: a complete failure

the movie was a dud

3

: a missile (as a bomb or shell) that fails to explode