don't be a bastard
3
9.9
- idiom
- Offensive
:
no seas un cabrón
- She told him, "Don't be a bastard; apologize for what you did."
Examples
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Don't be a bastard; treat others with kindness and respect.
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Don't be a bastard—let your brother have a turn with the computer.
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If you see someone struggling, don't be a bastard and help them out instead.
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She said, 'don't be a bastard, just tell me the truth.'
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Please don't be a bastard to your friends!
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Why don't be a bastard when you can be nice?
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"You're acting like a bastard when you bully your classmates."
Synonyms
To tell someone not to be difficult or mean
Antonyms
How Harsh
- Offensive
3
9.9
- Informal
1
7.2
Surface Forms
Morphology
The expression is a literal negative imperative composed of 'don't be' + the noun 'bastard'; if a learner knows 'bastard' as an insulting word meaning an unpleasant or cruel person, they can directly infer the meaning 'do not behave like that person'. The construction follows a standard compositional pattern (don't be + noun) so it is semantically transparent, although colloquial and socially taboo in register.
Etymology
Don't be a bastard uses the old word bastard, which once meant a child born to parents who were not married. Over time bastard became a strong insult for someone who is cruel or unfair, so the whole phrase tells someone 'don't be mean'.