Synonyms for dud

Most common

wash-out · flop · bomb · turkey · failure · blank · misfire · damp squib

Synonyms by meaning

Noun

Definitions

1. n. 1

   A device or machine that is useless because it does not work properly or has failed to work, such as a bomb, or explosive projectile.

2. n. 2

   A failure of any kind.

   I got stuck with a seatmate who was a conversational dud.

Forms

Plural

duds → flops, wash-outs, bombs, turkeys…

Example sentences

• flop That movie was a big hit overseas but was a flop here.
• bomb There are a few nuclear bomb shelters in the city.
• turkey What do you think of emerging markets like Turkey?
• failure Tom attributed his failure in the exam to illness.
• blank Arthur just stares at a blank wall for meditation.

Popularity over time

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters

bomb¹, flop¹

5 letters

blank¹

6 letters

turkey²

7 letters

failure², misfire³

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (turkey² = 2 syllables).