BAMF

See also: bamf

English

Pronunciation

(US) enPR: bămf, IPA^(key): /bæmf/
Rhymes: -æmf

Noun

BAMF (plural BAMFs)

(slang) Acronym of bad-ass motherfucker; a very tough or formidably impressive person who is not to be trifled with.
- 1997 November 3, Matthew Jeremy Blevins, “Kira creams Damar”, in rec.arts.startrek.current‎^[1] (Usenet):
  And -atttitude-^[sic] is a big part of being a BAMF, too.
- 2003, John Ridley, “Thirty-four and Holding”, in Those Who Walk in Darkness, New York, N.Y.: Warner Books, →ISBN, page 23:
  Yarborough took a beat, recovered a little, got back to being a BAMF. Telepath couldn't put him down, he boasted. He hadn't met the freak that could.
- 2011, Jill Kargman, Sometimes I Feel Like a Nut: Essays & Observations, New York, N.Y.: William Morrow, →ISBN, page 140:
  Fast-forward to my thirty-fifth birthday and my brother and I decided it was time to fulfill my dream of being a BAMF.
- 2015 March 13, Rebecca Serle, “The Vampire Diaries Recap: Take Out Her Heart”, in Vulture‎^[2], archived from the original on 2023-05-11:
  The first thing we learned about humanityless Caroline is that her voice is down an octave (sultrier, digging it), and also that she is a total BAMF.
- 2019 February 10, Stacy Grant, “Is Ariana Grande Trolling the Academy After the 2019 Grammys Feud?”, in Seventeen‎^[3], New York, N.Y.: Hearst Digital Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2022-05-18:
  Ariana tweeted her little heart out and set the record straight for fans, while slamming the Grammys in the process. And because she's a BAMF, she won an award three days after her tweetstorm.

Usage notes

Like WTF, BAMF is regarded as far less offensive in its acronymic form than in its elaborated form.