dud
dud Lexical Profile
dud Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A thing that fails to work properly or is otherwise unsatisfactory or worthless.
"The new battery turned out to be a dud, so I had to exchange it at the hardware store."
An explosive device, firework, or round of ammunition that fails to detonate when ignited or fired.
"One of the Roman candles at the festival was a dud that merely fizzled in the grass."
(in the plural 'duds') Informal term for clothes or personal belongings.
"He packed his finest duds in a leather suitcase for the weekend wedding."
• adjective
Not working properly, counterfeit, or completely ineffective.
"The cashier apologized after realizing he had accidentally accepted a dud banknote."
• Rhymes for dud
Word Origin & Etymology
Dating to Middle English (as 'dudde'), the word originally meant a coarse cloak or ragged garment. During World War I, military slang revived it to describe an unexploded artillery shell, from which the broader modern sense of any disappointing failure developed.