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
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Recent Examples of bad
Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 13 Jan. 2026
So long as a person is willing to subject himself to the abuse of the City, the City will find new and worse ways to abuse him.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
That started off bad and got better.
—Vulture, 21 Feb. 2023
Mellissa Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2023
Good drama is the choice between two bads.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Mar. 2023
Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
Patients who have fallen ill from eating poison mushrooms range in age from 19 months to 67 years.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 9 Jan. 2026
That’s not inherently a bad thing, but the anime trilogy doesn’t do its premise justice, instead stuffing the films with ill-fitting anime tropes and gobs of complex, invented sci-fi lore that’s both overly serious and seriously under-explained.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 20 Dec. 2025
There are people like myself who don’t agree with the extreme policies of both parties realizing that neither side has all the answers to solve the nation’s ills.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bad
Adjective
Roman’s play-calling was conservative at its best Sunday, unimaginative at its worst.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 13 Jan. 2026
So long as a person is willing to subject himself to the abuse of the City, the City will find new and worse ways to abuse him.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
Adverb
Remember, too much of a good thing can turn bad quickly!
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
That started off bad and got better.
—Vulture, 21 Feb. 2023
Noun
Despite the obvious bad, there was undeniable good.
—Mellissa Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2023
Good drama is the choice between two bads.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Mar. 2023
Adjective
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can include headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, irregular breathing, and feeling ill or tired while at home, but fine when away.
—Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
Patients who have fallen ill from eating poison mushrooms range in age from 19 months to 67 years.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Adverb
Honestly, stop-motion is such a rigorous process, so ill-suited for improvisation.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 9 Jan. 2026
That’s not inherently a bad thing, but the anime trilogy doesn’t do its premise justice, instead stuffing the films with ill-fitting anime tropes and gobs of complex, invented sci-fi lore that’s both overly serious and seriously under-explained.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
Noun
Avi Schiffmann, the company’s 23-year-old CEO, has been cast as a misanthropic tech founder emblematic of Silicon Valley’s ills.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 20 Dec. 2025
There are people like myself who don’t agree with the extreme policies of both parties realizing that neither side has all the answers to solve the nation’s ills.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 12 Dec. 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 Jan. 2026.
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