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
Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 15 Feb. 2026
And our worst attributes are sort of being hardwired into its source code.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 18 Nov. 2025
Remember, too much of a good thing can turn bad quickly!
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Mellissa Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2023
Good drama is the choice between two bads.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Mar. 2023
Ariana Hendrix, STAT, 10 Feb. 2026
While some lucky people never feel ill, that queasiness can be pretty debilitating for many others—more so in the first trimester, but occasionally throughout the entire pregnancy.
—Julia Ries Wexler, SELF, 9 Feb. 2026
Yahya Abou-Ghazala, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
While John is overjoyed to see his free-spirited cousin, who drove her carriage from Scotland after her coachman fell ill, Francesca appears noticeably shaken by Michaela’s unexpected visit.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
James Vincent, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Certainly, in the past several years, the app has been blamed for any number of contemporary social ills.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bad
Adjective
With the roads in bad shape, NASCAR postponed proceedings to Monday — and then to Wednesday.
—Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 15 Feb. 2026
And our worst attributes are sort of being hardwired into its source code.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026
Adverb
This can make your water smell bad, affect the taste, and could lead to illness.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 18 Nov. 2025
Remember, too much of a good thing can turn bad quickly!
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
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
This is not at all to claim that young babies in Norway never contract RSV, or that keeping them at home longer is a guarantee against them catching it or becoming severely ill.
—Ariana Hendrix, STAT, 10 Feb. 2026
While some lucky people never feel ill, that queasiness can be pretty debilitating for many others—more so in the first trimester, but occasionally throughout the entire pregnancy.
—Julia Ries Wexler, SELF, 9 Feb. 2026
Adverb
The conduct of those two agents, from the earliest moments interacting with demonstrators up through their decision to pull weapons and fire at Pretti, illustrate the dangers of flooding American cities with officers ill-equipped to deal with protesters in urban environments, experts told CNN.
—Yahya Abou-Ghazala, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
While John is overjoyed to see his free-spirited cousin, who drove her carriage from Scotland after her coachman fell ill, Francesca appears noticeably shaken by Michaela’s unexpected visit.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
As a result of her work with AMRs, Wise avoids framing humanoids as some sort of industrial panacea for every economic ill, from labor shortages to manufacturing bottlenecks.
—James Vincent, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Certainly, in the past several years, the app has been blamed for any number of contemporary social ills.
—Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 27 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 18 Feb. 2026.
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