badass

1 of 2

adjective

bad·​ass ˈbad-ˌas 

1

chiefly US, informal + sometimes impolite : ready to cause or get into trouble : mean

a badass criminal who should be put away for life

… casting Henry Fonda against type as a remorseless badass gunslinger …

—Laurence Phelan

2

chiefly US, informal + sometimes impolite : of formidable strength or skill

… such a badass guitar player …

—N'Gai Croal

badass

2 of 2

noun

chiefly US, informal + sometimes impolite

: a person who is badass

Examples of badass in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Part of the appeal of The Witcher 3 is in being that badass. — ArsTechnica, 25 May 2026

But wanted to keep it still badass and crime oriented, but still have the heart of a redemption story. — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Apr. 2026

Noun

Maddy being a badass and owning her own company with a man that deserves her. — Zoë Haylock, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026

Then there's Nancy Wheeler, who goes from wide-eyed girl next door to gun-slinging badass—and her hair has become bigger and wilder to match. — Meg Walters, InStyle, 9 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1955, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1956, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for badass

• alas
• amass
• bromegrass
• bypass
• crabgrass
• crevasse
• eelgrass
• eyeglass
• groundmass
• harass
• impasse
• jackass