badaud
|ba-daud|
🇺🇸
/bəˈdoʊ/
🇬🇧
/bəˈdɔː/
idle gawker
Etymology
'badaud' originates from French, specifically the word 'badaud', where 'bader' meant 'to gape' or 'to stare in astonishment'.
'badaud' entered English from modern French 'badaud' (19th century literary and journalistic usage) after evolving in French from Old French/vernacular forms related to 'bader'.
Initially it meant 'one who gapes or stares', and over time it has retained that core sense though in English it is chiefly a literary or slightly pejorative term for a gawker.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an idle onlooker or gawker who stands and stares at a spectacle, often in a mix of curiosity and amazement.
A crowd of badauds gathered in the square to watch the parade.
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Noun 2
(pejorative) A foolish or idle person commonly given to gawking rather than taking action.
He dismissed the crowd as a bunch of badauds who would never intervene.
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Last updated: 2025/12/29 20:20