bad 1 of 3

adjective

ˈbad How to pronounce bad (audio)
Definition of badnext
1
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard a bad first attempt at making meat loaf resulted in a soggy, inedible mess

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2
as in evil
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable stealing is just plain bad

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3
as in harmful
causing or capable of causing harm sitting too close to the television is said to be bad for the eyes

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4
as in naughty
engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior the children were bad, so they didn't get dessert

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5
as in sad
feeling unhappiness hearing about the world's miseries always makes him feel bad

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6
as in defective
having a fault a bad video connection that is causing some picture loss

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7
as in rotten
having undergone organic breakdown I think the milk has turned bad

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8
as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses the air in the damp basement had a very bad smell

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9
as in terrible
of low quality bad shoes that fell apart within a week

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10
as in poorly
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body I've been feeling bad all week with this cold

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11
as in null
having no legal or binding force all known claims on the property were dismissed by the court as bad

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12
as in malicious
slang having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it with all of his tattoos and piercings, that skinhead looks like one really bad dude

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bad

2 of 3

adverb

as in badly
in an unsatisfactory way you didn't do too bad on the treadmill test

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bad

3 of 3

noun

as in wrong
that which is morally unacceptable there's bad and good in people of every race and nationality

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For
Try This
bad news
awful news
bad weather
poor weather
awful weather
terrible weather
nasty weather
unfavorable weather
bad luck
rotten luck
lousy luck
a bad idea
a foolish idea
a dangerous idea
a poor idea
an unwise idea
an awful idea
bad behavior
malicious behavior
naughty behavior
poor behavior
terrible behavior
awful behavior

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bad
Adjective
Since Trump’s Wednesday announcement, the stock market plummeted to its worst position since March 2020. — Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 5 Apr. 2025 Jack: This is just a bad team that has occasionally had good days. — The View From The Lane, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025
Adverb
Ignoring one of them can lead you to bad-looking maps no one would prefer. — J. Richard Gott, Scientific American, 17 Feb. 2021 The researchers think that by expelling their bad-tasting innards when fish are nibbling nearby, sea squirts may drive the fish away. — Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 26 June 2015
Noun
Good drama is the choice between two bads. — Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Mar. 2023 In the Avenge the Earth storyline, those big bads included Apocalypse, the first mutant, and, of course, Kang the Conqueror. — Joe George, Men's Health, 16 Feb. 2023 See All Example Sentences for bad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bad
  1. unacceptable
  2. evil
  3. harmful
  4. naughty
  5. sad
  6. defective
  7. rotten
  8. unpleasant
Adjective
  • Defense stocks were once considered socially unacceptable investments, but fund managers are slowly changing tack as the sector has rallied in recent years.
    — Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Forcing Americans and small independent American companies to rely on those same tools is an unacceptable outcome of domestic legislation.
    — Emma Woollacott, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of unacceptable
Adjective
  • Lillard’s career catapulted following his turn in the flick as Stu Macher, one-half of the evil duo (including Ulrich’s Billy Loomis) behind the savage killings at Woodsboro High.
    — Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2025
  • No country will afford to regimes which practice racial discrimination assistance which in its own judgment directly contributes to the pursuit or consolidation of this evil policy.
    — Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2025
Definition of evil
Adjective
  • Make sure to not add dyes or sweeteners, which can be harmful to hummingbirds.
    — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Our biochemical response to that type of stress is to release cortisol which eventually leads to the harmful downstream effects on our bodies, such as high blood pressure.
    — Andrea Kane, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2025
Definition of harmful
Adjective
  • The actress turned what would have been a totally conservative outfit into something really naughty while promoting her new movie Duplicity in the Big Apple.
    — Robyn Merrett, StyleCaster, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Believe it or not, between sipping delicious eggnog and hot cocoa and enjoying the joy of Yuletide with family and friends, there are still naughty killjoys afoot during Christmastime — the worst of which appear in some of the best holiday films.
    — Mike Miller, People.com, 19 Dec. 2024
Definition of naughty
Adjective
  • Yet, whatever the deal means for Paul, Weiss, its acquiescence to Trump marks a sad day for the legal profession—or what once was a profession, and is now just another business.
    — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Kwong grew up hearing stories of every kind about Manzanar—scary, sad, funny and infuriating.
    — Rachel Ng, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025
Definition of sad
Adjective
  • In a statement to Digital Trends, LG said the LED TVs, which weigh up to 101.2 pounds with stands, aren't defective on their own.
    — Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 13 Jan. 2023
  • Jurors in Gwinnett County, northeast of Atlanta, returned the verdict in the years-long civil case involving what the plaintiffs’ lawyers called dangerously defective roofs on Ford pickup trucks, lawyer James Butler Jr. said.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2022
Definition of defective
Adjective
  • How does this not end up with boots smelling like rotten eggs?
    — Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025
  • In total, it's fixed more than 23 million rotten links on Wikipedia alone, according to the organization.
    — Emma Bowman, NPR, 23 Mar. 2025
Definition of rotten
Adjective
  • As horrible, unpleasant, miserable this work was, people had the most wonderful spirit.
    — Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Euphemisms are designed to obfuscate unpleasant truths.
    — Zachariah Mampilly, Foreign Affairs, 1 Apr. 2025
Definition of unpleasant

Phrases Containing bad

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backyards
bad
bad blood
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Cite this Entry

“Bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bad. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.

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