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
Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
bad news
bad weather
bad luck
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Recent Examples of bad
Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025
In your garden, stink bugs can be a real bad problem...
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 28 June 2025
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
Joe George, Men's Health, 16 Feb. 2023
So what was the rationale behind introducing our new big bad in the exact opposite way?
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for bad
Adjective
But others are, at best, psychological signposts and, at worst, internet inside-jokes.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025
In your garden, stink bugs can be a real bad problem...
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 28 June 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
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
So what was the rationale behind introducing our new big bad in the exact opposite way?
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for bad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bad
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, an unacceptable state of affairs persists.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
26 June 2025
-
The latest version of a controversial bill that would require the sale of federal land to pay for tax cuts limits the scope of Bureau of Land Management property eligible for sale, but remains unacceptable to hunting, fishing, and conservation leaders.—
Andrew McKean,
Outdoor Life,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
Unfortunately, those lofty first-act ambitions give way to something much more formulaic, as Buzz joins forces with the usual ragtag bunch of misfits to battle the evil Emperor Zurg.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
20 June 2025
-
In Twin Peaks, Deputy Chief Hawk and Sheriff Frank Truman—filling in for ailing brother Frank—work on following a lead phoned in by an ailing Log Lady, while Richard Horne, son of Audrey Horne and Cooper’s evil double, spiraling into depravity and addiction, kills a child in a hit-and-run.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
Research has found that building roads can fragment habitats, disrupt ecosystems, and increase erosion and sediment pollution in drinking water, among other potentially harmful outcomes.—
Hayley Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
24 June 2025
-
This kind of leadership without empathy is not only unsustainable but actively harmful to morale and performance.—
Jody Michael,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
In other news, water is wet and the Islanders are naughty.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
21 June 2025
-
The Renaissance’s old love language — the naughty puns, the sighs of longing and strategies of seduction, the paeans to the beauty of beloveds masked by fanciful Greek and Latin names — had grown obsolete long before Millay’s time.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
Adjective
-
Two screenshots from the video showing Ollie was a sad facial expression.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
-
The building directly across the street stands in sad disrepair, its windows smashed, swathed in graffiti, a front garage door hangs half-open.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
19 June 2025
Adjective
-
That leads estate planners to recommend to some clients an intentionally defective grantor trust (IDGT).—
Bob Carlson,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
-
The parts planning team, which uses a separate system with different data, mistakenly orders a big batch of the now defective parts before getting the update.—
Sean O'Neill,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The smell won’t be as sweet, maybe a little rotten.—
Jessica Farthing,
Southern Living,
21 June 2025
-
In two particularly egregious examples involving baby products described to CNBC, Amazon sent customers used diapers and a chiller with someone else’s rotten breastmilk inside.—
Katie Tarasov,
CNBC,
21 June 2025
Adjective
-
Some of these vitamins have quality issues, like a fishy or unpleasant taste.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
25 June 2025
-
Diana, for example, when anything unpleasant was said in her presence, would slowly blink her eyes in an incredible act of denial.—
Rosemary Counter,
Time,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bad. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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