1
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
a bad first attempt at making meat loaf resulted in a soggy, inedible mess
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in evil
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable
stealing is just plain bad
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in defective
having a fault
a bad video connection that is causing some picture loss
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in rotten
having undergone organic breakdown
I think the milk has turned bad
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in badly
in an unsatisfactory way
you didn't do too bad on the treadmill test
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in wrong
that which is morally unacceptable
there's bad and good in people of every race and nationality
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bad
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2025
Why are Newcastle so bad away from home?
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Tristan Bove, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2022
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
Mellissa Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2023
Good drama is the choice between two bads.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for bad
Adjective
The Heat has also finished with one of the NBA’s 10 worst offensive ratings in each of the last three seasons.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2025
Why are Newcastle so bad away from home?
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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
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
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
See All Example Sentences for bad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bad
Adjective
-
Not making payments to them for even another day is simply unacceptable.—
Katherine Faulders,
ABC News,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Hufanga deemed that first-quarter Jeanty touchdown unacceptable because any touchdown is unacceptable at this point to Denver’s defense.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
But there are many other threats out there, like the evil wizard Vilgefortz (Mahesh Jadu) who attacks Yennefer’s forces in the climactic Battle of Montecalvo.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Forces of good and evil collide in a terrifying film where real-world challenges crash headlong into other worldly creatures and myths.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Specialty cleaners made for glass cooktops don’t contain harmful ingredients like ammonia.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Small settings changes can make a big difference in reducing exposure to harmful or suggestive content.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Ten-inch-tall elves, called Scout Elves, arrive in children's homes ahead of Christmas with a mission to relay children's behavior back to Santa Claus for his naughty and nice list.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
-
John Quinones and Sara Haines see who’s naughty, who’s nice — and who’s caught in between.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Everyone's a little sad in The Holdovers, Alexander Payne's charmingly sour comedy about a student stuck at his New England boarding school over the holidays with only his grouchy professor (Paul Giamatti) and the school cook (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) for company.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The 25-year-old wide receiver is sad to see his teammates go, but trusts the vision of the New York front office.—
Matt Audilet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Progesterone promotes cell death among defective cells that could turn cancerous.—
Jocelyn Solis-Moreira,
Flow Space,
27 Oct. 2025
-
The family contends that the hotel knew, or should have known, that the property’s water heating system was dangerous and defective, accusing management of failing to inspect and maintain the temperatures.—
Julia Marnin,
Sacbee.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Learn how to banish that rotten egg smell from your washer while keeping it fresh, clean, and odor-free.—
Lauren Bengtson,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Oct. 2025
-
But toss everything into a cauldron and the end result is a rotten stew of the Beavers’ own making.—
Jon Wilner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Its natural deodorizing properties help neutralize the unpleasant smells associated with pets, according to Stein.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
1 Nov. 2025
-
The 75-year-old ginkgo trees have been wafting the unpleasant smell into the air at the Northern California park, forcing residents to brave the stench that is comparable to vomit, The Sacramento Bee and SFGATE report.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bad. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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