Synonyms of bad
1
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
a bad first attempt at making meat loaf resulted in a soggy, inedible mess
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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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as in sinfulness
the state or quality of being utterly evil
the villain's complete badness made him a good foil for the unfailingly virtuous hero
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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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Recent Examples of bad
Judy Berman, Time, 23 May 2025
Anything under par around here in these conditions isn't a bad score.
—Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 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
If sinister twists or Roy-style bad dads do it for you, hang on past the hour mark.
—Judy Berman, Time, 23 May 2025
Anything under par around here in these conditions isn't a bad score.
—Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 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
-
All these attacks are unacceptable, and this isn't just an American problem.—
Mandalit del Barco,
NPR,
13 May 2025
-
That should be unacceptable to American negotiators.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
12 May 2025
Adjective
-
Will the company itself go rogue and opt to use AGI for evil deeds?—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2025
-
Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way.—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
Located in the stratosphere, the ozone layer acts like sunscreen, blocking potentially harmful ultraviolet energy from reaching our planet's surface.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
20 May 2025
-
Even apps like YouTube Kids can expose kids to harmful content.—
Anna Halkidis,
Parents,
19 May 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
They are seen flinging a pizza box into their bucolic yard, smearing their faces with paint, raising their middle fingers, and saying naughty words.—
Peter Tonguette,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
For someone who prizes roadside Americana, this is the visual version of the sad trombone sound.—
Christopher Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2025
-
After the show, there's booze, girls, and hotel suites, but Abel's locked in the bathroom, being sad.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
15 May 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
-
There are two types of repellents: Taste, which often contains capsaicin and requires the animal to take a nibble; and odor, which is sulfur-based and smells like rotten eggs.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
10 May 2025
-
The smell, an odor like rotten eggs, is the sargassum piles decomposing, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Best Smelling Photograph: Kristin Canning Grand Tongo Green Tea + Mint Insect Repellent $15 Amazon After testing nearly 20 different bug sprays (that pretty much all smelled at least a little unpleasant and chemical-y), this picaridin spray from Grand Tongo truly blew me away.—
Kristin Canning,
Wired News,
21 May 2025
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Today after dropping off groceries, my wife noted that the refrigerator, in her opinion, had an unpleasant odor.—
Eric Thomas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bad. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
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