bastardly
Definition
- Adjective:
- Of low quality, worthless, or contemptible: Describes something or someone considered to be of very poor quality, mean, or despicable.
- Born out of wedlock; illegitimate: Describes a person whose parents were not married to each other at the time of their birth. This meaning is now archaic and offensive.
Usage Examples
- Adjective (meaning: contemptible):
- His bastardly behavior towards his employees led to a high turnover rate.
- We were delayed by some bastardly mechanical issue with the plane.
- Adjective (meaning: illegitimate - archaic):
- The king's bastardly son could not inherit the throne under the old laws. (Note: This usage is outdated and offensive.)
Advanced Usage
- As an intensifier for negative qualities: The word is used to strongly emphasize the despicable or worthless nature of something.
- It was a bastardly trick to play on someone who trusted you.
Variants and Related Words
- Bastard (n, adj): The noun form, historically meaning an illegitimate child, is now a highly offensive slur. As an adjective, it can mean "illegitimate" (archaic/offensive) or, informally, "difficult or unpleasant" (e.g., ).
- Bastardization (n): The act of corrupting or debasing something.
- The film was a complete bastardization of the original novel.
Synonyms
- Despicable: Deserving hatred and contempt.
- Contemptible: Worthy of scorn; despicable.
- Worthless: Having no real value or use.
- Illegitimate (for the archaic sense): Born to parents not lawfully married to each other.
Antonyms
- Admirable: Deserving respect and approval.
- Honorable: Bringing or worthy of honor.
- Legitimate (for the archaic sense): Born of parents lawfully married to each other.
Notes on Usage
- Register and Offensiveness: The word "bastardly" is considered vulgar and highly offensive, especially due to its etymological link to the slur "bastard." Its use is generally avoided in formal and polite contexts.
- Archaic Sense: The meaning related to birth ("illegitimate") is obsolete. Using the word in this sense today would be considered deeply offensive and inappropriate.
- Modern Use: In contemporary, informal use, it almost exclusively functions as a strong, vulgar adjective meaning "contemptible" or "extremely unpleasant."
Adjective
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of no value or worth
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I was caught in the bastardly traffic
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born out of wedlock
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the dominions of both rulers passed away to their spurious or doubtful offspring- E.A.Freeman
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