Badass

/ˈbæd.æs/ adjective

Definition

Someone or something that is impressively tough, cool, or fearless in a rebellious way.

Etymology

American slang combining 'bad' (used ironically to mean good since the 1980s) and 'ass' (emphatic suffix); popularized by hip-hop culture and action movies in the 1980s-90s.

Kelly Says

Michael Jackson's 'Bad' album (1987) turned 'bad' into slang for cool, and then 'badass' became the ultimate compliment—language is constantly being flipped upside down by artists and musicians.

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