bad 1 of 6

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4
5
as in sad
feeling unhappiness hearing about the world's miseries always makes him feel bad

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

6
7
8
9
10
11
as in null
having no legal or binding force all known claims on the property were dismissed by the court as bad

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

12

bad

2 of 6

adverb (1)

bad

3 of 6

noun (1)

ill

4 of 6

adjective (2)

1
as in sick
affected with nausea she grew ill from the constant rocking motion of the boat

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
4
as in poor
falling short of a standard such ill behavior will not be tolerated

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

5

ill

5 of 6

adverb (2)

ill

6 of 6

noun (2)

1
2
3

Try This Instead

For
Try This
bad news
awful news
bad weather
poor weather
awful weather
terrible weather
nasty weather
unfavorable weather
bad luck
rotten luck
lousy luck
a bad idea
a foolish idea
a dangerous idea
a poor idea
an unwise idea
an awful idea
bad behavior
malicious behavior
naughty behavior
poor behavior
terrible behavior
awful behavior

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bad. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on bad

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!