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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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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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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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of bad
Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
In the hands of a less-skilled comedian (or even another recent SNL host, Shane Gillis), those jokes would’ve been really bad.
—Rima Parikh, Vulture, 9 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 other is trending toward bad and not belonging.
—Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
In the hands of a less-skilled comedian (or even another recent SNL host, Shane Gillis), those jokes would’ve been really bad.
—Rima Parikh, Vulture, 9 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
-
Like terrestrial monsters, evil aliens are often stand-ins for real-life anxieties.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Thia was sent to this dread planet by the Weyland-Yutani corporation, the famously evil entity that haunts most of the Alien movies.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Some harmful varieties closely resemble edible mushrooms, even to experienced foragers.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
On each phone, the lock screen image was a photo of a child who died young due to the harmful effects of social media.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
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
-
The team would never have spotted them just by analyzing a defective bottle.—
Nicola Twilley,
New Yorker,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Building on earlier biochemical discoveries, researchers administered a CoQ10 precursor that bypasses the defective step in the energy-production pathway.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In a city in which the house always wins — and so many others lose and lose — the Raiders’ rotten run of futility is getting old.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
Using a speaker outside the stall results in reverb and echoing as the music bounces around the bathroom walls, making the sound muddy and unpleasant.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Given the lack of gravity, even a runny nose can turn into an extremely unpleasant experience, forcing astronauts to resort to unusual measures just to drain mucus from their nasal passages.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bad. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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