VocabauraVOCABAURA

badge

noun · verb

Simple meaning

An emblem that signifies your status.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

baj
US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈbædʒ

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  1. An emblem (a small piece of plastic or cloth or metal) that signifies your status (rank or membership or affiliation etc.)

    “They checked everyone's badge before letting them in.”

  2. A distinctive mark, token, sign, emblem or cognizance, worn on one's clothing, as an insignia of some rank, or of the membership of an organization.

  3. A small nameplate, identifying the wearer, and often giving additional information.

  4. A card, sometimes with a barcode or magnetic strip, granting access to a certain area.

  5. Something characteristic; a mark; a token.

verb

  1. Put a badge on

    “The workers here must be badged.”

  2. transitive

    To mark or distinguish with a badge.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Moderately Common
Typical Use
Neutral / general English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: An emblem (a small piece of plastic or cloth or metal) that signifies your status (rank or membership or affiliation etc.)

Used this way, badge is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It stays understated rather than dramatic. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Heard in a sentence
“They checked everyone's badge before letting them in.”
Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Mild
How common
Common
Connotation
Matter-of-fact
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use badge

  • “They checked everyone's badge before letting them in.”noun
  • “Wearing a tie was regarded as a badge of respectability.”noun
  • “The workers here must be badged.”verb

Share your sentence

Write your own example sentence using “badge”. We review each one before it appears.

Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

Emblem / distinctive

silver badge

Small

film badgebadge number

Other combinations

merit badgered badgegold badgeyellow badgecap badge

Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Inflected forms

Grammatical variations of the same word.

  • badgerverbInflected form

    Annoy persistently.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • badger skunknounCompound term

    Large naked-muzzled skunk with white back and tail.

  • badger dognounCompound term

    Small long-bodied short-legged German breed of dog having a short sleek coat and long drooping ears.

  • badger statenounCompound term

    A midwestern state in north central United States.

  • eurasian badgernounCompound term

    A variety of badger native to Europe and Asia.

  • ferret badgernounCompound term

    Small ferret-like badger of southeast Asia.

  • hog-nosed badgernounCompound term

    Southeast Asian badger with a snout like a pig.

Use This Word

See how this word sounds in a real sentence.

Ask Vocabaura

Understand the word your way.

What Does It Mean Here?

Words can change meaning depending on context.

Use it yourself

Knowing “badge” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.

Know the meaning? Practice using it in a real situation, free, no credits.

Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.