A bastard is a child born outside of marriage. You might hear someone call themselves or their partner's child a bastard if they don't want to hide that fact.
The word 'bastard' can sound harsh, but it's actually used more casually than you might think. People often say "born out of wedlock" instead of using the B-word, but in everyday conversation, some people still use it to refer to themselves or someone else's child who wasn't born within a marriage. It's also sometimes used as an insult, like when someone tries to belittle another person by saying they're a bastard.
How common is "bastard"?
Word bastard is considered uncommon in modern English. It appears most frequently in fiction texts and less often in other writings.
Definitions
noun
A person who was born out of wedlock, and hence often considered an illegitimate descendant.
A mongrel (biological cross between different breeds, groups or varieties).
(typically referring to a man) A contemptible, inconsiderate, overly or arrogantly rude or spiteful person.
Example: Some bastard stole my car while I was helping an injured person.
A man, a fellow, a male friend.
Example: Get over here, you old bastard!
(often preceded by 'poor') A person deserving of pity.
Example: Poor bastard, I feel so sorry for him.
A child who does not know his or her father.
Something extremely difficult or unpleasant to deal with.
Example: Life can be a real bastard.
A variation that is not genuine; something irregular or inferior or of dubious origin, fake or counterfeit.
Example: The architecture was a kind of bastard, suggesting Gothic but not being true Gothic.
An intermediate-grade file; also bastard file.
A sweet wine.
A sword that is midway in length between a short-sword and a long sword; also bastard sword.
An inferior quality of soft brown sugar, obtained from syrups that have been boiled several times.
A large mould for straining sugar.
A writing paper of a particular size.
A Eurosceptic Conservative MP, especially in the government of John Major.
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verb
To bastardize.
adjective
Of or like a bastard (illegitimate human descendant).
Of or like a bastard (bad person).
Of or like a mongrel, bastardized creature/cross.
Of abnormal, irregular or otherwise inferior qualities (size, shape etc).
Used in the vernacular name of a species to indicate that it is similar in some way to another species, often (but not always) one of another genus.
Example: bastard gemsbok
Very unpleasant.
Example: I've got a bastard headache.
Abbreviated, as the half title in a page preceding the full title page of a book.
(theater lighting) Consisting of one predominant color blended with small amounts of complementary color; used to replicate natural light because of their warmer appearance.
Example: A bastard orange gel produces predominantly orange light with undertones of blue.
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interjection
Exclamation of strong dismay or strong sense of being upset.
