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Definition of badlands

badlands

/ˈbæd.lændz/
bad · lands
Plural:badlands
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badlands Lexical Profile

badlands Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

An extensive tract of arid, barren land, notably in western North America, where soft sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been heavily eroded by wind and water into steep gullies, ravines, mesas, and hoodoos.

Example

"Paleontologists have unearthed numerous dinosaur fossils in the eroded badlands of Alberta and Montana."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for badlands

• Nearby Words

badge
badger
badland
badlands
badly
badman
badminton

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in mid-19th-century American English as a calque of the Canadian French phrase 'mauvaises terres à traverser' ('bad lands to cross'), which itself translated the Lakota term 'mako sica' used for the rugged, arid terrain of southwestern South Dakota.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Badlands. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/badlands
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