Synonyms of bad
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as in unacceptable
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as in evil
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as in harmful
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as in naughty
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as in sad
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as in defective
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as in rotten
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as in unpleasant
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as in terrible
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as in poorly
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as in null
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as in malicious
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as in sick
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as in dangerous
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as in bad
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as in poor
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as in ominous
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as in badly
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as in severely
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as in no
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as in wrong
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as in disease
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as in badness
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as in misfortune
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Example Sentences
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Phrases Containing
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Entries Near
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Related Articles
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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1
2
as in dangerous
causing or capable of causing harm
one of the ill effects of winter weather is the rapid spread of germs as people spend more time together indoors
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3
as in bad
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body
since I'm ill, I guess that I'll just have to miss that dental appointment
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4
as in poor
falling short of a standard
such ill behavior will not be tolerated
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5
as in ominous
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come
the abrupt breakdown of negotiations appears to be an ill omen for this ongoing hostage situation
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1
as in severely
in a manner so as to cause loss or suffering
in those days society treated debtors very ill, even going so far as to put them in prison
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2
as in no
certainly not
you can ill afford to miss another day of work
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1
as in disease
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning
chicken pox and the other ills that were once a fixture of childhood
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2
as in badness
that which is morally unacceptable
idealistic people who try to cure all of our society's ills
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3
as in misfortune
bad luck or an example of this
the travelers merrily set off on their journey, scarcely imagining the ills that would befall them
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of bad
Vera Lucia Pappaterra,
Miami Herald,
2 July 2026
Corcoran’s case was decided in 1992 – and the situation is only worse today.
—
Miranda Yaver,
The Conversation,
2 July 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.
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Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 Nov. 2025
Austin Mock,
The Athletic,
19 Aug. 2024
Despite the obvious bad, there was undeniable good.
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Mellissa Martinez,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Aug. 2023
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
24 June 2026
At the height of the rebellion, Bacon suddenly became ill and died on October 26, 1676, probably from dysentery.
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Tracy Grant,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
24 June 2026
John Liu,
CNN Money,
25 June 2026
Lionel Richie is postponing his next two shows after falling ill on stage in Minnesota during the first night of his nationwide tour with Earth Wind and Fire on Wednesday.
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Mason Leib,
ABC News,
25 June 2026
Kff Health News,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Many Barcelona residents feel the Sagrada Familia's fame has driven some of overtourism's worst ills.
—
ABC News,
9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for bad
Adjective
Activists and faith leaders denounced the conditions at the office during a press conference the previous day, calling on officials to visit the facility and said there had been bad conditions at the facility for weeks.
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Vera Lucia Pappaterra,
Miami Herald,
2 July 2026
Corcoran’s case was decided in 1992 – and the situation is only worse today.
—
Miranda Yaver,
The Conversation,
2 July 2026
Adverb
The dialogue sometimes lapses from bad-funny to just bad.
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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
Reports out of fall camp haven’t been super favorable to their offense, and while the defense will, again, be top-notch, a team with this bad of an offense cannot be trusted.
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Austin Mock,
The Athletic,
19 Aug. 2024
Despite the obvious bad, there was undeniable good.
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Mellissa Martinez,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Aug. 2023
Adjective
Several of the ill people, who also include Canadian diplomats, reported vertigo, tinnitus, headaches, cognitive impairmen, and other issues after feeling intense pressure or hearing strange sounds coming from one direction in incidents that happened in several countries.
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Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
24 June 2026
At the height of the rebellion, Bacon suddenly became ill and died on October 26, 1676, probably from dysentery.
—
Tracy Grant,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
24 June 2026
Adverb
Following years of economic devastation and underinvestment in public services, the country’s infrastructure – from hospitals to electricity and water – is ill-equipped to deal with a crisis like this.
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John Liu,
CNN Money,
25 June 2026
Lionel Richie is postponing his next two shows after falling ill on stage in Minnesota during the first night of his nationwide tour with Earth Wind and Fire on Wednesday.
—
Mason Leib,
ABC News,
25 June 2026
Noun
Ultimately, a ballot initiative won’t cure the ills that plague healthcare in the United States, said the Lown Institute’s Saini.
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Kff Health News,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Many Barcelona residents feel the Sagrada Familia's fame has driven some of overtourism's worst ills.
—
ABC News,
9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for bad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bad
Adjective
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In their grievance letter, the detainees called the markups an unacceptable business practice with no apparent limit.
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Overt racial prejudice, long considered socially unacceptable, is increasingly visible in public life, marking a shift from previously subtle forms.
Adjective
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There is so much evil and suffering in the world, so much conniving and malicious intent, and the self is, at least, a familiar foe.
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When the monsters reveal an evil agenda that goes beyond becoming movie stars, the Minions are forced to battle them to save the world.
Adjective
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The plasma process also produced very little smoke or tar, reducing harmful secondary pollutants typically associated with biomass conversion and making the technology a cleaner way to produce renewable solid fuel.
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At the same time, its flowers attract beneficial predatory insects, such as ladybugs and parasitic wasps, that naturally hunt harmful garden pests.
Adjective
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Has Greta eaten or chewed on anything naughty?
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The play was naughty stuff in 1925, when the show, starring Tallulah Bankhead, got banned.
Adjective
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Day broke, bathing everything in light, and so great was the vitality of the early-morning sun that even the unhappy city seemed to smile a wan, sad smile.
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But SpringHill really took off in 2020, two seasons into James’ Lakers term, when The SpringHill Company went public (and the Lakers won the sad COVID-bubble NBA Championship).
Adjective
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The rash was much milder in mice bred with defective itch-sensing nerve cells.
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The plaintiffs have also accused Bayer of negligence and misrepresentation of Roundup's safety in its marketing, and have alleged that the product was defective for its intended purpose.
Adjective
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To be fair, the DCEU, the preceding web of films, had nearly half of its movies land rotten scores.
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Big Red might be a braggart, a bully and rotten to the core, but Lasdun invokes Thomas De Quincey’s neat point about how a man’s capacity to rob says nothing about his propensity to murder.
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Alas, Ligeti proved to be an extraordinarily difficult collaborator, his manic perfectionism colliding with practical reality and leading to unpleasant scenes.
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The consequences are unpleasant, but can also turn dangerous very quickly as body temperature rises.
Cite this Entry
“Bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bad. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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