bad-natured

adjective

bad-na·​tured
: having or showing a disagreeable and unpleasant nature or temperament
He sat and brooded in a bad-natured and slightly drunken way.Mary Gaitskill, Bad Behavior, 1988
With voice and gestures, he deftly sketches … the creepy, bad-natured chef, who's sadistic but melts into a puddle of insecurity when his cooking is criticized.Holly Johnson, The Oregonian, 17 Apr. 2004

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bad-natured was in 1871

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Dictionary Entries Near bad-natured

Cite this Entry

“Bad-natured.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bad-natured. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!