son of a bitch

noun phrase

ˈsən-ə-və-ˌbich How to pronounce son of a bitch (audio)
also
ˈsəm-ˌbich How to pronounce son of a bitch (audio)
 as an interjection  ˌsən-ə-və-ˈbich
plural sons of bitches ˌsən-zə-ˈbi-chəz How to pronounce son of a bitch (audio)
1
sometimes vulgar
a
: an offensive or disagreeable person
usually used of a man
He's a mean son of a bitch.
used as a generalized term of abuse
"… You son of a bitch, you sat down in my chair."Garrison Keillor
b
: man, fellow
"The poor son of a bitch," he said. "He never had a chance. … "Hunter S. Thompson
2
sometimes vulgar
used interjectionally to express surprise, disappointment, annoyance, or anger
3
sometimes vulgar
used as a generalized term of reference
Why didn't he just climb the ladder all the way to the top, step off the son of a bitch, and be done with it?Richard Russo

Examples of son of a bitch in a Sentence

That son of a bitch insulted my family. He's a mean son of a bitch. The test turned out to be a real son of a bitch.

Word History

First Known Use

1655, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of son of a bitch was in 1655

Dictionary Entries Near son of a bitch

Cite this Entry

“Son of a bitch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/son%20of%20a%20bitch. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!