dud
UK[dʌd]US[dʌd]
n
A thing that fails to work properly or is otherwise unsatisfactory or worthless.
n
Informal. A person who is unsuccessful or boring.
Etymology
The word "dud" first appeared in Middle English as "dudde," referring to a cloak or a piece of clothing, often ragged. By the 19th century, its meaning had shifted to denote something worthless, likely influenced by the association of old clothes with rags. The modern sense of a failure, particularly an inexplosive shell or a malfunctioning device, solidified during World War I. Its journey from a term for a garment to a general label for a useless thing illustrates a classic path of semantic pejoration, where a neutral term acquires a negative connotation.
Analysis
The word "dud" is a simplex word of uncertain origin. It does not break down into meaningful, reusable morphemes within modern English spelling.
Examples
The firework was a dud and failed to go off.
He felt like a complete dud after his presentation was poorly received.
We bought a cheap toaster, but it turned out to be a dud.