Bastard has 9 different meanings across 4 categories:
Noun · Adjective · Intj · Proper Noun
insulting terms of address for people who are stupid or irritating or ridiculous
"Don't call me a bastard just because I asked you to double-check your work."
the illegitimate offspring of unmarried parents
"The old man looked at his stepchildren and thought fondly of his own bastard, who had grown up in a different household."
A person who was born out of wedlock, and hence often considered an illegitimate descendant.
"Although the local lord claimed him as a son, the villagers whispered that he was merely the bastard of a passing soldier."
In plain English: A bastard is an illegitimate child, meaning someone born to parents who are not married to each other.
"He called me a bastard when I accidentally bumped into him at the grocery store."
Usage: While the term historically referred to children born out of wedlock, modern usage almost exclusively employs it as a harsh insult rather than a neutral descriptor. Avoid using this word in formal writing due to its severe pejorative connotations and potential for legal repercussions regarding defamation.
To bastardize.
"The editor was accused of bastardizing the original essay by adding unnecessary facts that distorted its main argument."
Of or like a bastard (illegitimate human descendant).
"The old house had a reputation for being a real bastard to live in due to its constant leaks and drafts."
In plain English: It is an outdated and offensive word used to insult someone by calling them illegitimate, but it has no place in modern conversation.
"That bastard weather ruined our picnic plans again."
Exclamation of strong dismay or strong sense of being upset.
"Bastard, why did you forget our anniversary again?"
A surname, from Old French.
"The historical novel features a character named John Bastard who served as a knight during the Hundred Years' War."
The word "bastard" entered English through Anglo-Norman and Middle French to describe an illegitimate child. Its ultimate origin is likely Frankish for marriage combined with a pejorative suffix meaning one who lacks that relationship.