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
Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2025
The 49ers are set to face off against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are a worse team on paper.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Tristan Bove, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2022
However, employees can’t be completely reckless on social media, making untrue or maliciously disparaging statements, or bad-mouthing their employer with broad-stroke commentary.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, 8 Nov. 2022
Mellissa Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2023
Good drama is the choice between two bads.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Mar. 2023
Charlotte Observer, 25 Sep. 2025
In her new novel, the author captures the strangeness of ordinary life for the chronically ill.
—Bekah Waalkes, The Atlantic, 25 Sep. 2025
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2025
For Jake, living by the dirty deal has always been something of a burden and the only modus operandi that was ever on the table, as ill-fitting as a Nick Cave suit on a Coney Island rabbit.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025
Time, 4 Sep. 2025
Macbeth, also an unstable Scottish king, blames the witches for the ills caused by his own murderous decisions.
—Emily Zarevich, JSTOR Daily, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bad
Adjective
Storing cheese on your refrigerator shelves or worse, in the door, are bound to cause issues more quickly.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2025
The 49ers are set to face off against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are a worse team on paper.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Adverb
After an online Twitter feud where CZ accused SBF of allegedly bad-mouthing him to regulators, the Binance CEO announced on Sunday the company would be dumping all of its holdings of FTT, a token used by FTX customers.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2022
However, employees can’t be completely reckless on social media, making untrue or maliciously disparaging statements, or bad-mouthing their employer with broad-stroke commentary.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, 8 Nov. 2022
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
Two men were charged in connection to gunfire that hit an ambulance transporting an ill patient early Thursday morning in uptown Charlotte, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police.
—Charlotte Observer, 25 Sep. 2025
In her new novel, the author captures the strangeness of ordinary life for the chronically ill.
—Bekah Waalkes, The Atlantic, 25 Sep. 2025
Adverb
The country would also be exceptionally ill-equipped to respond to the next pandemic.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2025
For Jake, living by the dirty deal has always been something of a burden and the only modus operandi that was ever on the table, as ill-fitting as a Nick Cave suit on a Coney Island rabbit.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
In their assessments, desegregation and the passage of time have cured all of America’s racial ills.
—Time, 4 Sep. 2025
Macbeth, also an unstable Scottish king, blames the witches for the ills caused by his own murderous decisions.
—Emily Zarevich, JSTOR Daily, 3 Sep. 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 2 Oct. 2025.
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