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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as in badly
in an unsatisfactory way
you didn't do too bad on the treadmill test
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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
Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026
But the deeper crisis isn’t a bad month.
—Gregory Haile, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
Judy Berman, Time, 21 Jan. 2026
Pull leftovers that still need to be eaten to the front, along with any foods that are going to go bad soon.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Nov. 2025
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
Fighting congestion Denver leaders’ rationale is that without major change, traffic congestion, already increasing faster than in other cities, will get worse.
—Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026
But the deeper crisis isn’t a bad month.
—Gregory Haile, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
Adverb
The dialogue sometimes lapses from bad-funny to just bad.
—Judy Berman, Time, 21 Jan. 2026
Pull leftovers that still need to be eaten to the front, along with any foods that are going to go bad soon.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Nov. 2025
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
-
The takeover will continue until the district meets criteria set by the Texas Education Agency, which include exceeding the state and/or regional average for meeting-grade-level proficiency in reading and math, and ensuring the district has no schools unacceptable ratings for multiple years.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Mar. 2026
-
To have to come and be in this particular bracket every freaking year is unacceptable.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
After tracking it down almost two decades later, Prince Adam is whisked back across space to defend his home planet against the evil forces of Skeletor.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Black is reprising his role as the sassy, if evil, Bowser in the sequel.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The same jury acquitted Lopez of more than a dozen other charges and hung on five counts of sending harmful material to a minor.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
-
While the video amused viewers, experts warn that repeatedly hitting the snooze button can be harmful.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The home needed to display her naughty sense of humor too.—
Julie Vadnal,
Architectural Digest,
18 Mar. 2026
-
These plays are often brilliant, and even lesser variants are fun to watch, because piñata-whacking itself is a naughty thrill, a cathartic fantasy for anyone with a family and/or a secret.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
One of the saddest bits of it, actually!—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Sister Jean would pass away at age 106 this past October, a sad metaphor for the fate of Cinderella.—
Greg Cote
Updated March 23,
Miami Herald,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And a cohort of American consumers, siding with the plaintiff, determined that the platforms are defective products, distributed to the public without proper safeguards or warnings about their potential harms.—
Maggie Harrison Dupré,
Futurism,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Her lawyers argued that the apps should be seen as defective products that contributed to Kaley's mental health struggles.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Something smells rotten in Denmark — that is, Tallahassee.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2026
-
The exoplanet's atmosphere contains gases like water, sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide -- which can smell like rotten eggs, especially when burned.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
That said, whole-virus vaccines can cause more unpleasant side effects, and in rare cases, weakened live pathogens can redevelop infectious capability.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Like, what would make this already unpleasant environment even spicier?—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bad. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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