dud
1 of 2noun
ˈdəd 
1
duds plural
a
: clothing
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 2adjective
: of little or no worth : valueless
dud checks
Synonyms
Noun
- bomb
- bummer
- bust
- catastrophe
- clinker
- clunker
- debacle
- débâcle
- disaster
- failure
- fiasco
- fizzle
- flop
- frost
- lemon
- loser
- miss
- shipwreck
- turkey
- washout
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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
Geoffrey A. Fowler, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2022 What was billed as a showdown between Alabama’s Harry Gilmer and Texas’ Bobby Layne — who had finished 5-6 in the Heisman Trophy voting — proved to be a dud as Layne’s Longhorns won easily in New Orleans. Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, 7 Sep. 2022 Gene Stallings’ Alabama coaching debut was a dud, as the Crimson Tide turned the ball over four times and suffered a number of key injuries in losing a three-point game at Legion Field. Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, 26 Aug. 2022 That’s typically a sign that stubborn investors are unwilling to give up on a once-market star that’s turned into a dud. Michael Foster, Forbes, 13 Aug. 2022 Finau and Pendrith started Sunday tied after a third round that seemed like match play, and a potential Detroit duel turned into a dud. Larry Lage, oregonlive, 31 July 2022 But the movie was a commercial dud, grossing just $13 million domestically. New York Times, 13 Apr. 2022 What looked like the assembly of a super team destined to win a championship turned into a dud that won one playoff series and disintegrated amid injuries, vaccine refusal and frustration. Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2022 If the tau Herculid shower turns out to be a dud, fear not, there are several other opportunities to witness meteor showers this year. Katie Hunt, CNN, 30 May 2022 See More
Noun
The iPhone 7 was a dud, but almost every subsequent iPhone did a better job of capturing detail and brightening the scene. Geoffrey A. Fowler, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2022 What was billed as a showdown between Alabama’s Harry Gilmer and Texas’ Bobby Layne — who had finished 5-6 in the Heisman Trophy voting — proved to be a dud as Layne’s Longhorns won easily in New Orleans. Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, 7 Sep. 2022 Gene Stallings’ Alabama coaching debut was a dud, as the Crimson Tide turned the ball over four times and suffered a number of key injuries in losing a three-point game at Legion Field. Creg Stephenson | Cstephenson@al.com, al, 26 Aug. 2022 That’s typically a sign that stubborn investors are unwilling to give up on a once-market star that’s turned into a dud. Michael Foster, Forbes, 13 Aug. 2022 Finau and Pendrith started Sunday tied after a third round that seemed like match play, and a potential Detroit duel turned into a dud. Larry Lage, oregonlive, 31 July 2022 But the movie was a commercial dud, grossing just $13 million domestically. New York Times, 13 Apr. 2022 What looked like the assembly of a super team destined to win a championship turned into a dud that won one playoff series and disintegrated amid injuries, vaccine refusal and frustration. Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2022 If the tau Herculid shower turns out to be a dud, fear not, there are several other opportunities to witness meteor showers this year. Katie Hunt, CNN, 30 May 2022 See More 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
Kids Definition
dud
noun
ˈdəd
1
: a complete failure
The party was a dud.
2
: a bomb or missile that fails to explode
3
duds plural : clothing
dud 1 of 2
noun
1
as in disaster
something that has failed our first attempt was a complete dud, so we had to start over Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- disaster
- failure
- disappointment
- catastrophe
- bomb
- loser
- bust
- fiasco
- flop
- clunker
- miss
- fizzle
- washout
- debacle
- mess
- bummer
- shipwreck
- lemon
- clinker
- turkey
- frost
- débâcle
- botch
- has-been
- near miss
- dog
- shambles
- also-ran
- hash
- nonevent
- muddle
- nonstarter
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- blockbuster
- success
- hit
- winner
- smash
- phenomenon
- crackerjack
- corker
- dandy
- crackajack
- jim-dandy
2
as in clothes
duds plural covering for the human body those are some pretty fancy duds you're wearing Synonyms & Similar Words
- clothes
- clothing
- dress
- habit
- attire
- threads
- rags
- wear
- apparel
- gear
- clobber
- rig
- weeds
- costume
- rigging
- toggery
- vestiary
- garments
- wearables
- habiliment(s)
- vesture
- tawdry
- costumery
- togs
- raiment
- vestments
- trumpery
- glad rags
- underwear
- pretties
- ensemble
- finery
- frippery
- frock
- foofaraw
- gaudery
- wardrobe
- trim
- tatters
- couture
- bravery
- regalia
- garb
- gaiety
- livery
- getup
- caparison
- array
- gayety
- garderobe
- civvies
- mufti
- tailoring
- outfit
- haberdashery
- guise
- outerwear
- sleepwear
- pret-a-porter
- playwear
- sportswear
- loungewear
- civies
- underclothes
- menswear
- smallclothes
- prêt-à-porter
- activewear
- ready-to-wear
- nightclothes
3
as in things
duds plural transportable items that one owns you have one hour to pack up your duds and clear out of here Synonyms & Similar Words
- things
- stuff
- effects
- personal effects
- gear
- goods
- possession
- personal property
- personalty
- paraphernalia
- holdings
- belongings
- plunder
- chattels
- movables
- moveables
- treasures
- fixtures
- property
- collateral
- appointments
- valuables
- tangibles
- furnishings
- estate
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- real estate
- immovables
dud
2 of 2adjective
as in defective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- defective
- unsatisfactory
- flawed
- substandard
- bad
- lousy
- imperfect
- duff
- cheapjack
- cheap
- worthless
- second-rate
- inadequate
- base
- inferior
- insufficient
- unacceptable
- deficient
- low-grade
- valueless
- null
- junky
- empty
- no-good
- chaffy
- vain
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- worthy
- valuable
- useful
- invaluable
- priceless
- precious
- prized
- cherished
- treasured
- special
- fancy
- esteemed
- exceptional
- choice
- high-grade