DUD Synonyms: 180 Similar and Opposite Words

dud 1 of 2

noun

ˈdəd

Definition of dud

as in disaster

something that has failed our first attempt was a complete dud, so we had to start over

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in clothes

duds plural covering for the human body those are some pretty fancy duds you're wearing

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in things

duds plural transportable items that one owns you have one hour to pack up your duds and clear out of here

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dud

2 of 2

adjective

as in defective

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of dud

Noun

Shy of Tuesday’s absolute dud, the Twins, winners in six of seven through Sunday, continued to play well in a series that afforded them a chance to measure themselves against the best. — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 25 June 2026 It’s widely believed that this season of Euphoria was a dud, but Zendaya has won this category twice already, and she will likely be nominated again—for her work, not the show’s quality. — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 25 June 2026

Adjective

Russian cluster munitions reportedly have a dud rate of as high as 40%. — Riley Rogerson, Anchorage Daily News, 21 July 2023 There are no dud rooms by any stretch, but for the most lascivious stay, the new villas for 2025 are somehow even lovelier—for a POA, of course. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dud

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dud

Noun

Rodríguez said numerous public officials died in the disaster, including security personnel, municipal employees and military officers.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026
The Boyle Heights blaze, similar to the Eaton and Palisades fires, has revealed the region’s air monitoring can’t always tell people what they’ve been exposed to in a disaster.

— Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026

Definition of disaster

Noun

Surveillance cameras captured a person dressed in dark clothing on a nearby roof overlooking the courtyard less than ten minutes before the killing, prosecutors said in charging documents.

— Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
The same goes for discovering petite-friendly clothing brands with styles that not only fit, but also flatter shorter frames.

— Destinee Scott, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2026

Definition of clothing

Adjective

Avila's family sued Tesla last week, alleging her death resulted from the company's gross negligence and failure to warn consumers that its self-driving systems were defective.

— Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Warranty costs are the expenses an automaker incurs to cover repairs, replacements and other costs for defective parts or workmanship under a certain period of time or miles driven after customers purchase a new vehicle.

— Michael Wayland, CNBC, 3 July 2026

Definition of defective

Noun

According to Castillo, one of the most significant failures has been the tendency to treat many squatter complaints as civil disputes rather than criminal investigations.

— Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
Spence also appears to be absorbing the blame for broader failures, with Thomas Tuchel’s touchline frustrations obvious and — for a player still establishing himself at this level — that scrutiny is unlikely to help.

— Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 4 July 2026

Definition of failure

Noun

Footwear is really the only requirement to wear a caftan dress, so feel free to pull out your summertime hits like strappy sandals.

— Katherine J Igoe, InStyle, 2 July 2026
Keep a handful near your washing machine or drying rack for blouses, dresses, workout wear, or delicate pieces that should skip the dryer.

— Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 July 2026

Definition of dress

Noun

There’s a lot of bad crowd work out there, just like there is bad anything else — fledgling or whatever rookie stuff.

— Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
There’s a bunch of new things across most of the 2026 range, mainly cosmetic, but also hardware and weight-saving stuff as well.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 July 2026

Definition of stuff

Browse Nearby Words

ducts

dud

dude

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Dud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dud. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of dud

noun

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on dud

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

perfunctory

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes