Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “badass” come from?

badass (English) comes from English bad, from Middle English bad, from Old English bæd, from Old English biddan, from Proto-West Germanic biddjan, from Proto-Germanic bidjaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰidʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeydʰ- — to compel, force; to trust.

badass (English): A belligerent or mean person; a person with an...

Definitions

  1. A belligerent or mean person; a person with an...

Ancestry of “badass”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbadUnfavorable; negative; not good; Not suitable or...
2Middle Englishbad—
3Old Englishbædfirst/third-person singular preterite of biddan
4Old Englishbiddanto ask; to beg
5Proto-West Germanicbiddjanto ask, to make a request
6Proto-Germanicbidjanąto make a request; to ask; to request, ask
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰidʰ-to command; pot, bucket, barrel
8Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeydʰ-to compel, force; to trust

Words derived from “badass”

  • badassery
  • badassitude
  • badassness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰeydʰ- →