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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in naughty
engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior
the children were bad, so they didn't get dessert
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in sad
feeling unhappiness
hearing about the world's miseries always makes him feel bad
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in defective
having a fault
a bad video connection that is causing some picture loss
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in rotten
having undergone organic breakdown
I think the milk has turned bad
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
as in terrible
of low quality
bad shoes that fell apart within a week
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
10
as in poorly
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body
I've been feeling bad all week with this cold
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
11
as in null
having no legal or binding force
all known claims on the property were dismissed by the court as bad
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in wrong
that which is morally unacceptable
there's bad and good in people of every race and nationality
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2025
The 49ers are set to face off against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are a worse team on paper.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 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
Storing cheese on your refrigerator shelves or worse, in the door, are bound to cause issues more quickly.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2025
The 49ers are set to face off against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are a worse team on paper.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 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
-
Afterwards, there were some situations that were completely unacceptable.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Sep. 2025
-
This type of behavior is unacceptable and does not reflect the values of sportsmanship, respect, and integrity that Kalamazoo Public Schools expects from student-athletes, coaches, and the entire school community.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
If the full release can continue to generate oddly pulse-pounding moments like the near-death rooftop fight with an evil-eyed Pikachu, then Z-A might be worth an extended stay in Lumiose.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
24 Sep. 2025
-
The kids discover their small town of Derry is home to an ancient, trans-dimensional evil that awakens every 27 years to prey mostly on children by taking the form of an evil clown named Pennywise.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Hendryx also said the move would lead to more environmental destruction, more local air and water pollution from mining sites, more pollution from power plants, more harmful contributions to climate change emissions, and other negative impacts.—
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The lack of structure could have harmful consequences for kids in the long run.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Clementine’s is also known for its naughty (boozy) and nice (booze-free) flavors.—
Jenna Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
24 Sep. 2025
-
He's since been taught that's the naughty finger.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Is this a deeply sad, award-winning tearjerker of a drama?—
James Factora,
Them.,
26 Sep. 2025
-
The schism that developed between Ric and Ben is a very sad part of the story.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Inspectors also found missing and defective smoke detectors and a non-functional fire alarm panel, Rushin said.—
JC Reindl,
Freep.com,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Despite the large number of vehicles recalled, the report stated that just 1% of the items are estimated to actually be defective.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This smells strongly of rotten eggs.—
Nate Anderson,
ArsTechnica,
25 Sep. 2025
-
And adding insult to injury, the whole plant smells like rotten peanut butter.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But the ever-reliable consumer is beginning to look shaky, courtesy of an unpleasant mix of a stagnating job market and sticky inflation.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The power is accompanied by a loud, unpleasant exhaust note.—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bad. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share