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
Noun
Likewise, the mass of free signings and loan acquisitions, like Joao Felix, Franck Kessie, Adama Traore and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, have also been in the vast majority duds. Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024 The construction worker bought three tickets initially, and the first two turned out to be duds, according to lottery officials. Makiya Seminera, Miami Herald, 15 Feb. 2024 Nantz and Romo have had many great finishes in the playoffs since teaming up together in 2016, but their first two Super Bowls were duds. Joe Reedy, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2024 Possibly the most visible challenge will be revitalizing the company’s film division after successive box office duds in 2023. Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2024 To house and do justice to the client’s impressive collection of designer duds, the 300-square-foot, boutique-like closet fits over 100 pairs of shoes and 30 designer handbags. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 1 Feb. 2024 The Army around 2017 declared a requirement for a new cluster shell with a one-percent dud rate. David Axe, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 Washington is younger and dressed in his military duds but the look is ever-so-wooden, and Rembrandt is not as famous as his father. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 27 Jan. 2024 At Stanford, class lectures in VR were a dud, Bailenson said. Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Russian cluster munitions reportedly have a dud rate of as high as 40%. Riley Rogerson, Anchorage Daily News, 21 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dud.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near dud

Cite this Entry

“Dud.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dud. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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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