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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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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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
Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026
But the deeper crisis isn’t a bad month.
—Gregory Haile, Fortune, 29 Mar. 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.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Nov. 2025
Mellissa Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2023
Good drama is the choice between two bads.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Mar. 2023
Lisa Hughes, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
Perimenopausal women are not ill and can live perfectly full and vivacious lives while hormones do their daily dance in the background.
—Patricia Bencivenga, STAT, 26 Mar. 2026
Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
Season 3 opens in 2023, with actors and writers on strike and Valerie taking an ill-suited role as Roxie Hart on Broadway to pass the time.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 22 Mar. 2026
Alexander Smith, NBC news, 24 Feb. 2026
For all its ills, social media can also be an entry point for anyone interested in Chicago history and the city’s varied eccentricities.
—Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bad
Adjective
Fighting congestion Denver leaders’ rationale is that without major change, traffic congestion, already increasing faster than in other cities, will get worse.
—Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026
But the deeper crisis isn’t a bad month.
—Gregory Haile, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
Adverb
The dialogue sometimes lapses from bad-funny to just bad.
—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
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
For Bomm, who was a dialysis nurse helping critically ill patients for more than 30 years, working with living donors like Andrea is particularly fulfilling.
—Lisa Hughes, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
Perimenopausal women are not ill and can live perfectly full and vivacious lives while hormones do their daily dance in the background.
—Patricia Bencivenga, STAT, 26 Mar. 2026
Adverb
Similarly, DeSantis told Hannity his previous bid for president wasn’t bad, just ill timed.
—Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
Season 3 opens in 2023, with actors and writers on strike and Valerie taking an ill-suited role as Roxie Hart on Broadway to pass the time.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 22 Mar. 2026
Noun
Reform’s pitch to voters is that, for many of these ills, mass immigration is to blame.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 24 Feb. 2026
For all its ills, social media can also be an entry point for anyone interested in Chicago history and the city’s varied eccentricities.
—Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bad
Cite this Entry
“Bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bad. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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