to be a dickwad
1
9.9
- phrasal verb
- /bi ə ˈdɪkˌwɑd/
- Offensive
- His rude comments at the party made everyone think he was being a dickwad.
Examples
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If you keep being a dickwad to your coworkers, no one will want to help you.
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There’s no need to be a dickwad—just listen to what they have to say.
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She told him not to be a dickwad about the situation and just accept the decision.
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Don't be a dickwad at the party!
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He can really be a dickwad sometimes.
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She tends to be a dickwad when she doesn't get her way, frustrating her friends.
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Don't be a dickwad by interrupting others while they are speaking.
Synonyms
63
9.9
Treating other people in an unkind, harsh way
14
8.4
To behave rudely or meanly toward other people
6
9.9
To act rudely and annoy other people
2
9.9
Behave rudely and selfishly, ignoring other people's feelings
1
9.9
To behave in a rude, stupid way
1
9.9
To act in a foolish way
1
9.9
To behave in a rude and hurtful way to other people
1
9.9
Behave in a rude and stupid way
1
9.9
To behave rudely and foolishly in a way that annoys or embarrasses people
1
9.9
To behave in a rude or foolish way that annoys other people
Behave in a very rude and insulting way to other people
Behave in a very rude and thoughtless way that upsets other people
To behave very rudely and make other people angry or upset
To behave in a very foolish and rude way
Behave rudely and selfishly and annoy other people
Behave in a rude, annoying, and foolish way toward other people
To behave in a rude and annoying way
To behave in a rude and annoying way
To act in a rude and unhelpful way
To act selfishly and treat other people badly
Act in a rude, annoying way toward other people
To act in a rude, annoying way that other people dislike
To behave in a silly or annoying way
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
be + a + dickwad
The copular frame 'be a' is fully compositional, but the noun 'dickwad' is an informal/slang insult whose meaning is not transparently derived from literal parts. A learner who knows 'dick' may infer an insulting sense, yet the exact nuance and formation are slangy and unpredictable for a B1 learner, giving only partial predictability.
Etymology
Be a dickwad may come from joining dick (a rude word for a selfish or stupid person) and wad (a small, useless lump), giving a silly, insulting image. Thinking of someone as a small, useless lump makes the insult stronger, so today be a dickwad means 'to act rude, annoying, or foolish'.