What does caddish mean?
Caddish is an adjective describing behavior worthy of a cad — a man who is ungentlemanly, dishonorable, and particularly careless or unkind in his dealings with women. To call someone caddish is to accuse them of lacking the courtesy, loyalty, and chivalry expected of a gentleman: forgetting debts, abandoning romantic commitments, or exploiting those who trust them. The word derives from cad, a noun of nineteenth-century British origin that began as Oxford and Cambridge slang distinguishing townspeople from university men before narrowing to mean a base or dishonorable fellow. Caddish carries a distinctly negative moral charge and has a somewhat literary, period flavor — it flourishes in the novels of the Victorian and Edwardian eras and lingers in modern usage when a writer wants a pointedly old-fashioned term for male misconduct. Its antonyms are the virtues of the ideal gentleman: chivalrous, gallant, honorable.
adjectiveBehaving like a cad; ungentlemanly, especially toward women — dishonorable, self-interested, and lacking in courtesy or chivalry.
- Of behavior or character: resembling that of a cad; ungentlemanly, especially in one's treatment of women.
"He was roundly condemned for his caddish treatment of a woman who had once been devoted to him."
"His caddish habit of borrowing money he never repaid cost him most of his friendships."
"The novelist made her villain memorable chiefly for his caddish charm."
Caddish comes from 'cad' — originally university slang for a townsperson who wasn't refined enough to be a 'fellow' — and became the go-to word for men who behaved badly toward women.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of caddish
Caddish derives from cad, a noun that emerged in early nineteenth-century British university slang. Originally, at Oxford and Cambridge, 'cad' was a mildly derogatory term for a townsperson — someone not belonging to the university set — before it evolved into a general label for an ill-bred or dishonorable man. The adjective caddish formed directly from this noun to describe behavior characteristic of such a man, and it gained wide currency in Victorian and Edwardian England as social codes of gentlemanliness were debated in literature and public life. Related forms include caddishly and caddishness.
Related word forms
How caddish is actually used
Somewhat old-fashioned or literary in tone today; strongly associated with Victorian and Edwardian fiction and with judgments about male behavior toward women. Carries a distinctly negative moral connotation.
Easily confused with caddish
Kaddish is a Jewish prayer of praise recited in liturgy and by mourners, whereas caddish is an adjective describing ungentlemanly behavior.