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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Try This Instead
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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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Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
bad news
bad weather
bad luck
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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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
Jameelah Nasheed, Essence, 21 May 2025
One received a 21-month jail term and the other was freed after his sentence was reduced because of ill health and time already served in custody.
Pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, Apple Daily’s founder, is still fighting national security charges that carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
—Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
Peter Guo, NBC news, 2 May 2025
Legal experts said Schumer’s remarks, while ill advised, fell well short of criminal conduct.
—Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 24 Apr. 2025
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2025
Every possible ill, every source of embarrassment to their bourgeois sensibilities, was blamed on the plant.
—Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
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
Adjective
The personhood provision also limits medical decision-making, particularly in devastating cases involving severely ill or brain-dead pregnant women, like Smith.
—Jameelah Nasheed, Essence, 21 May 2025
One received a 21-month jail term and the other was freed after his sentence was reduced because of ill health and time already served in custody.
Pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, Apple Daily’s founder, is still fighting national security charges that carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
—Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
Adverb
The students fell ill within minutes of eating rice and potato curry, vomiting and convulsing with stomach cramps.
—Peter Guo, NBC news, 2 May 2025
Legal experts said Schumer’s remarks, while ill advised, fell well short of criminal conduct.
—Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
From worrying about how much TV little kids can watch to what social media is doing to the mental health of teens, parenting has turned into a constant battle against the ills of the screen.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2025
Every possible ill, every source of embarrassment to their bourgeois sensibilities, was blamed on the plant.
—Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bad
Cite this Entry
“Bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bad. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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