dud
UK: dʌd | US: dʌd
n. 1. A thing that fails to work or meet expectations; a failure.
n. 2. (Informal) A counterfeit or worthless item.
n. 3. (Military slang) An unexploded shell or bomb.
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The word "dud" originated in the early 19th century, initially meaning "a ragged garment" or "a person in rags," likely derived from dialectal English. By the late 19th century, it evolved to describe something worthless or defective, possibly influenced by the idea of "rags" being useless. During World War I, "dud" was adopted into military slang to refer to unexploded ammunition, reinforcing its association with failure or malfunction. The term's vivid, colloquial nature made it a lasting descriptor for anything that disappoints or fails.
The fireworks turned out to be a dud and didn’t explode.
He bought a cheap watch, but it was a complete dud and stopped working the next day.
The bomb squad safely disposed of the dud found in the construction site.
Despite the hype, the new product launch was a dud.
She felt like a dud after her presentation received no applause.