1
a
: failing to reach an acceptable standard : poor
a bad repair job
b
: unfavorable
make a bad impression
c
: not fresh : spoiled
bad fish
d
: not sound : dilapidated
the house was in bad condition
2
a
: morally objectionable : evil
bad men
b
: mischievous, disobedient
a bad dog
3
: inadequate or unsuited to a purpose
a bad plan
bad lighting
4
: disagreeable, unpleasant
bad news
badness
noun
1
: something that is bad
There's more good than bad in him.
Take the good with the bad.
2
: an evil or unhappy state
Things went from bad to worse.
3
: fault sense 2
the mistake was my bad
Phrases
not bad
: fairly or acceptably good
She eyes the other girls' clothes. A bright orange skirt. Good. A black cocktail dress with a gold belt. Not bad. A white dress with a blousy, frilly top. Hideous.—
Karl Taro Greenfeld
: quite good or impressive
Karl Taro GreenfeldFor the second time in three games, Patrick Roy blanked the Dallas Stars. Not bad for a player who insists he is not a shutout goalie.—The New York Times
The New York Times
Synonyms
Adjective
- bastard
- bush
- bush-league
- crummy
- crumby
- deficient
- dissatisfactory
- ill
- inferior
- lame
- lousy
- off
- paltry
- poor
- punk
- sour
- suboptimal
- subpar
- substandard
- unacceptable
- unsatisfactory
- wack [slang]
- wanting
- wretched
- wrong
Noun
Adverb
Examples of bad in a Sentence
Adjective
The house is in bad condition.
a letter written in bad French
He had a bad day at the office.
I was having a bad dream.
She made a very bad impression on her future colleagues.
We've been having bad weather lately.
The medicine left a bad taste in his mouth.
It's a bad time for business right now.
Things are looking pretty bad for us at this point.
I have a bad feeling about this.
Noun
There's more good than bad in him.
We need to teach our children the difference between good and bad.
teaching children the difference between the good and the bad
He believes that the good go to heaven when they die and the bad go to hell.
Adverb
He hasn't succeeded because he doesn't want it bad enough.
you didn't do too bad on the treadmill test
See More
Recent Examples on the WebAshlyn Messier, Fox News, 25 Nov. 2023
Thanksgiving travel tips: Best and worst days to fly or drive
Heavy snow has already fallen in the Rocky Mountains and western Plains, with the highest accumulations in places like Luther, Montana, at 10 inches; Heyburn, Idaho, at 8.7 inches; and 8 inches in Fishtail, Montana.
—Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 24 Nov. 2023
Things get even worse when Charlie Brown can only get his hands on a limbless, dead-looking Christmas tree.
—Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 24 Nov. 2023
Mike Murashige Eugene, Ore. Advertisement :: Is there anyone out there who thinks former USC coach Clay Helton would have done worse?
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Nov. 2023
The ability of people to be their own worst enemies -- in the sense of attracting political support -- is, IMHO, a hallmark of today's politics, at least among extremists.
—Timothy Bella, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2023
Many aides, allies, friends, and associates of his have been investigated, and some indicted, for a range of frauds and bad acts in office.
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2023
The ride home made things so much worse for Gino and Jasmine, as the woman dropped her phone beneath the car seat.
—Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 13 Nov. 2023
There are worse weeks in their long history than the one the Yankees just experienced, featuring their first public comments since a disastrous 82-win season ended with a strikeout in Kansas City way back on Oct. 1.
—Larry Fleisher, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
Mellissa Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2023
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
Then a new big bad entered the arena.
—Peter Rubin, Longreads, 15 Apr. 2022
So what was the rationale behind introducing our new big bad in the exact opposite way?
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Feb. 2023
In addition to setting up the Multiverse Saga, the film also includes the introduction of Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), who serves as the new big bad for the MCU.
—Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 17 Feb. 2023
The first to face this new big bad of the MCU’s Phases 5 and 6 will be the multigenerational Lang-Van Dyne-Pym clan, who can also collectively be called Ant-Mans and the Wasps.
—Tracy Brownstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2023
Jonathan Majors is playing Marvel's new big bad, Kang the Conqueror, in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and beyond.
—Brendan Morrow, The Week, 15 Feb. 2023
Vulture, 21 Feb. 2023
That’s one bad-looking snap through two games.
—Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 21 Sep. 2022
Who wants frustrated and stressed-out workers bad-mouthing the company to their peers, right?
—Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2023
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
However, employees can’t be completely reckless on social media, making untrue or maliciously disparaging statements, or bad-mouthing their employer with broad-stroke commentary.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, 8 Nov. 2022
After an online Twitter feud where CZ accused SBF of allegedly bad-mouthing him to regulators, the Binance CEO announced on Sunday the company would be dumping all of its holdings of FTT, a token used by FTX customers.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2022
Also, if exposed to too much heat, humidity, or other elements, the gummies can go bad faster than the expiration date.
—Laxmi Corp, The Salt Lake Tribune, 30 Sep. 2022
See More
Adjective
This can cause a lot of discomfort and, at its worst, can cause teeth to loosen and even fall out.
—Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 25 Nov. 2023
Thanksgiving travel tips: Best and worst days to fly or drive
Heavy snow has already fallen in the Rocky Mountains and western Plains, with the highest accumulations in places like Luther, Montana, at 10 inches; Heyburn, Idaho, at 8.7 inches; and 8 inches in Fishtail, Montana.
—Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 24 Nov. 2023
Things get even worse when Charlie Brown can only get his hands on a limbless, dead-looking Christmas tree.
—Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 24 Nov. 2023
Mike Murashige Eugene, Ore. Advertisement :: Is there anyone out there who thinks former USC coach Clay Helton would have done worse?
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Nov. 2023
The ability of people to be their own worst enemies -- in the sense of attracting political support -- is, IMHO, a hallmark of today's politics, at least among extremists.
—Timothy Bella, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2023
Many aides, allies, friends, and associates of his have been investigated, and some indicted, for a range of frauds and bad acts in office.
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2023
The ride home made things so much worse for Gino and Jasmine, as the woman dropped her phone beneath the car seat.
—Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 13 Nov. 2023
There are worse weeks in their long history than the one the Yankees just experienced, featuring their first public comments since a disastrous 82-win season ended with a strikeout in Kansas City way back on Oct. 1.
—Larry Fleisher, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
Noun
Despite the obvious bad, there was undeniable good.
—Mellissa Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2023
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
Then a new big bad entered the arena.
—Peter Rubin, Longreads, 15 Apr. 2022
So what was the rationale behind introducing our new big bad in the exact opposite way?
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Feb. 2023
In addition to setting up the Multiverse Saga, the film also includes the introduction of Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), who serves as the new big bad for the MCU.
—Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 17 Feb. 2023
The first to face this new big bad of the MCU’s Phases 5 and 6 will be the multigenerational Lang-Van Dyne-Pym clan, who can also collectively be called Ant-Mans and the Wasps.
—Tracy Brownstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2023
Jonathan Majors is playing Marvel's new big bad, Kang the Conqueror, in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and beyond.
—Brendan Morrow, The Week, 15 Feb. 2023
Adverb
That started off bad and got better.
—Vulture, 21 Feb. 2023
That’s one bad-looking snap through two games.
—Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 21 Sep. 2022
Who wants frustrated and stressed-out workers bad-mouthing the company to their peers, right?
—Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2023
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
However, employees can’t be completely reckless on social media, making untrue or maliciously disparaging statements, or bad-mouthing their employer with broad-stroke commentary.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, 8 Nov. 2022
After an online Twitter feud where CZ accused SBF of allegedly bad-mouthing him to regulators, the Binance CEO announced on Sunday the company would be dumping all of its holdings of FTT, a token used by FTX customers.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2022
Also, if exposed to too much heat, humidity, or other elements, the gummies can go bad faster than the expiration date.
—Laxmi Corp, The Salt Lake Tribune, 30 Sep. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bad.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English badde, bad, of obscure origin
Note: The Middle English word apparently appears as a surname or element in surnames in the 13th century, but as an independent adjective not before the 14th century. The supposed connection with the marginally attested Old English words bæddel, bædling (vowel length uncertain) "hermaphrodite, homosexual" is possible but uncertain (direct descent of badde from bæddel through phonetic reduction is unlikely).
Noun
Middle English badde, noun derivative of badde bad entry 1
Adverb
adverbial derivative of bad entry 1
First Known Use
Adjective
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1c
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1c
Adverb
1575, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of bad was
in the 13th century
Phrases Containing bad
Dictionary Entries Near bad
Cite this Entry
“Bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bad. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.
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Kids Definition
bad
1 of 3 adjective1
2
: not good or right : morally evil or wrong
a bad person
bad behavior
3
: not enough
bad lighting
4
: disagreeable sense 1, unpleasant
bad news
5
a
: harmful
bad for the health
b
: severe sense 3
a bad cold
7
: ill entry 1 sense 2c, sick
feel bad
8
: sorrowful sense 1, sorry
don't feel bad about losing
badness
noun
bad
2 of 3 noun1
: a bad thing or part
take the bad with the good
2
: a bad or unhappy state
go to the bad
bad
3 of 3 adverb
: badly
not doing so bad
Legal Definition
bad
adjective
: not valid : void
bad notice
especially
: not covered by sufficient funds
a bad check
More from Merriam-Webster on bad
Nglish: Translation of bad for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of bad for Arabic Speakers
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