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Definition of "ill-bred" [ill•-bred]

  • Badly brought up; impolite and crude. (adjective)
  • Not thoroughbred; underbred. Used of animals. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "ill-bred" in a sentence
  • "I apologized profusely and explained that I was an American who was not only rude but clearly ill-bred."
  • "Except, wait, what the hell does it mean for a word to be “ill-bred”?"
  • "But I see him for what he is, a nasty, ill-bred creature who thinks he's great."