bastard

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Informal · Slang

n. something that is very difficult, annoying, or painful to deal with.

n. an extremely difficult, unpleasant, or arduous task or situation.

“That exam was a total bastard; I couldn't answer half the questions.”

“Trying to fix the plumbing in this old house is a real bastard of a job.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Law Archaic · Formal

n. a person whose parents were not married when they were born.

n. a person born to parents not lawfully married to each other at the time of birth.

“In many old stories, the king's bastard son tries to take the throne.”

“Historically, being born a bastard carried significant legal disadvantages regarding the inheritance of land and titles.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Informal · Humorous

n. a way to talk about a man, often showing you are jealous or feel sorry for him.

n. a fellow or man; often used with an adjective like 'lucky' or 'poor' to express envy or pity.

“You won the lottery? You lucky bastard.”

“The poor bastard had been working for twelve hours straight before he finally got a break.”

C2 · Proficiency Technical

adj. not pure or not the standard size or shape.

adj. of abnormal or irregular shape or size; having the appearance of being a cross-breed or impure.

“The carpenter used a bastard file to smooth the rough edges of the wood.”

“The manuscript was printed on bastard paper, which did not match the dimensions of the rest of the collection.”

C1 · Advanced British English · Vulgar · Dialect

adj. used to describe something very bad or annoying.

adj. used as an intensifier to describe something highly unpleasant or difficult.

“The weather has been bastard lately, raining every single day.”

“It was a bastard cold morning, and the engine simply refused to start.”