dud

noun

\ ˈdəd

Definition of dud

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 duds plural

a : clothing

b : personal belongings

2a : one that is ineffectual also : failure a box-office dud

b : misfit

3 : a bomb or missile that fails to explode

dud

adjective

Definition of dud (Entry 2 of 2)

: of little or no worth : valueless dud checks

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about dud

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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

Shares in Tencent, the Chinese giant which has delivered years of explosive returns, have been a dud this year due to concerns about a slowdown in the mobile-gaming market. — Jacky Wong, WSJ, "Another Tech Sector Optical Illusion Is Shattered," 14 Aug. 2018 But his foray into national politics was an incredible dud; his 2016 presidential campaign burned through its scant fundraising cash early and Walker dropped out of the running in September 2015, his operation nearly broke. — Tara Golshan, Vox, "The race to unseat Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Democrats’ white whale, explained," 13 Aug. 2018 But any duds would leave an area littered with unexploded ordnance, something that's happened to London before. — David Hambling, Popular Mechanics, "What Are Airports Going to Do About Drones?," 9 Jan. 2019 The grenade set off a thunderous secondary explosion, perhaps by detonating the dud, a suicide vest or other munitions the Taliban stored in the tunnel. — Michael M. Phillips, WSJ, "‘I Think I’ve Been Shot’: Nighttime Raid in Afghanistan Reveals New U.S. Strategy," 5 Dec. 2018 The Duchess of Sussex had the priciest duds by a landslide, with her new purchases reportedly adding up to $508,258. — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "Meghan Markle Had the Most Expensive Royal Wardrobe in 2018—By a Landslide," 6 Jan. 2019 Since returning, a dud against Cleveland notwithstanding, he’s been significantly improved. — Michael Singer, USA TODAY, "NBA rookie rankings: Lakers' Lonzo Ball gaining confidence after MCL injury," 13 Mar. 2018 Still there is something to this ancient admonition: If people didn’t look so adorable in their shearling duds, would Matthew have felt the need to forewarn us, thousands of years ago? — Madeline Fass, Vogue, "The Shearling Coat Is the Epitome of Carnal Cool—7 Timeless Reasons Why," 1 Nov. 2018 And in Tokyo, Ezra Miller blossomed in Kim Jones’s latest duds for Dior Homme. — Edward Barsamian, Vogue, "10 Best Dressed: Week of December 3, 2018," 3 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dud.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.