What does badass mean?
Badass is an informal American English word used both as a noun and an adjective. As a noun, it denotes a tough, intimidating, or boldly self-assured person — someone who commands respect and refuses to be pushed around. As an adjective, it describes anything impressively tough, stylish, or formidable, from a person's demeanor to a car, guitar riff, or workout. Though the term began as vulgar slang, its modern connotations are largely admiring: calling someone a badass usually praises their courage, competence, or rebellious charisma rather than criticizing genuine cruelty, which was closer to its earlier meaning. It appears constantly in film, music, sports commentary, and everyday conversation, and variants such as bad-ass and playful derivatives like badassery are widespread. Because of its slangy register, writers typically reserve it for casual contexts, but its vividness has made it one of the most recognizable colloquialisms describing fearless, larger-than-life character.
A tough, intimidating, or impressively bold and self-confident person; someone not to be trifled with.
"Everybody on the block knew old Marcus was a badass you didn't cross twice."
An earlier, now less common sense meant a genuinely mean or vicious person; today the noun is almost always complimentary or at least awed.
Strikingly impressive, cool, tough, or formidable in style or capability.
"That vintage muscle car with the matte-black paint job looks absolutely badass."
The adjectival use is extremely common in informal speech, reviews, and marketing aimed at younger audiences.
Used when referring to multiple tough or impressive individuals; rare but standard.
"The movie's opening scene introduces a whole crew of badasses."
Born in American slang and once too crude for polite print, 'badass' has been tamed enough to appear on T-shirts, in corporate slogans, and even in mainstream dictionaries — proof of how quickly taboo words can go mainstream.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of badass
Badass emerged in mid-20th-century American slang, formed transparently from the existing words 'bad' (in its slang sense of tough or formidable) and 'ass' (a vulgar term for a fool or a person generally). Its earliest senses described a mean, aggressive troublemaker, but by the late 20th century the meaning had shifted toward admiration for toughness and coolness. It shares its components with countless other American slang compounds built on 'bad' and 'ass,' and it has no cognates outside English, being a distinctly homegrown formation.
Related word forms
How badass is actually used
Badass originated as coarse American slang and still carries a slightly informal, edgy flavor; it is generally avoided in formal writing. In modern usage it carries predominantly positive connotations of toughness, confidence, and coolness, though the older sense referred to someone genuinely mean or nasty. The adjective use is now extremely common in informal speech and pop culture.
Easily confused with badass
Bad-ass is simply a hyphenated variant spelling of badass with the same meaning; some style guides prefer one form over the other.