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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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
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Recent Examples of bad
Seth Reiss, New Yorker, 10 July 2025
But Littell, who had been on a good roll, had — by his standards — a bad day, allowing the Tigers to go ahead 3-2 in the fourth.
—Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 July 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
Don’t want to suggest that time is slow or that time is bad which might make people dislike time and, by association, the watch.
00:00:34: Not good.
00:00:36: Re: when the actor raises the drink to his mouth.
—Seth Reiss, New Yorker, 10 July 2025
But Littell, who had been on a good roll, had — by his standards — a bad day, allowing the Tigers to go ahead 3-2 in the fourth.
—Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 July 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
-
The use of unilateral sanctions against Special Rapporteurs or any other UN expert or official is unacceptable.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
-
Students, both the ones who behave and the ones who misbehave, need to know that there are real consequences for unacceptable behavior.—
Carrie Lukas,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
After an early tutorial sequence where players learn the ropes of controlling the powerful yet agile ape, the story introduces its antagonists: Void Company, an evil corporate mining operation hell-bent on creating a golden banana monopoly.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
1 July 2025
-
They weren’t built by the government, but rather by those evil greedy private corporations and individuals who are guilty of the heinous crime of providing millions of Americans with places to live.—
The Editors,
National Review,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
One of the most common and harmful examples is the Social Security Administration phishing scam, which targets unsuspecting individuals with alarming and deceptive messages.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
6 July 2025
-
The Consumer Product Safety Commission was created by Congress in 1972 and tasked with shielding consumers from injury or death from defective or harmful products.—
Mike Scarcella,
USA Today,
3 July 2025
Adjective
-
Frank gives me just the wonderful opportunity to be naughty.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 July 2025
-
In other news, water is wet and the Islanders are naughty.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
21 June 2025
Adjective
-
Too much alcohol and your dreamy dessert turns into a sad, semi-frozen slush.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
All three movies are packed with dinosaurs—dinosaurs running, dinosaurs being sad and winsome, dinosaurs showing ruthless disregard for human life.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
30 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 odor comes from a toxic gas that’s colorless and smells like rotten eggs.—
Tammy Murga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 July 2025
-
If the weather’s rotten, the show simply moves inside to the main USJ auditorium.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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But many of the Blues’ outings have been unpleasant because of high temperatures and storms, and six games across the tournament have been paused for poor weather conditions, angering manager Enzo Maresca.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
8 July 2025
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My other wildlife standoff involved a much cuter animal, but potentially far more unpleasant.—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bad. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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