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
Jane Kim, The Spruce, 10 May 2026
Outstanding Structured Reality is nearly as bad with the same five shows nominated since 2023.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 May 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
Amber Gaudet, Charlotte Observer, 14 May 2026
That patient, who is not ill, is being monitored at a biocontainment unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026
But after the former treasurer fell ill, nothing changed, Anderson said.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
David Sims, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
In his songs, the Virginia rapper renders societal ills in high definition.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bad
Adjective
Without proper clipping, the plant will look worse for wear and may decrease the visual interest of your garden.
—Jane Kim, The Spruce, 10 May 2026
Outstanding Structured Reality is nearly as bad with the same five shows nominated since 2023.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 May 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
Szabo took over day-to-day operations at American Log Homes and Cabins in 2016, when her father became ill, according to the company’s website.
—Amber Gaudet, Charlotte Observer, 14 May 2026
That patient, who is not ill, is being monitored at a biocontainment unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Adverb
Ten more people who attended the wake fell ill.
—ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026
But after the former treasurer fell ill, nothing changed, Anderson said.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
Noun
Her transgression is one of the worst things imaginable; in a way, what Emma is hiding stems from a societal ill that gets papered over every day.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
In his songs, the Virginia rapper renders societal ills in high definition.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bad
Adjective
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For a city in the grip of a housing crisis, that delay was unacceptable.—
Michelle de la Uz,
New York Daily News,
13 May 2026
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Bans on unacceptable-risk AI have applied since February 2025, according to the European Commission.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
11 May 2026
Adjective
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Another pair of wins from KPop Demon Hunters, which are attached to the evil boy band Saja Boys, cracked the top 10 as well, and several members – the group is made up of Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo and Samuil Lee – are usually classified as K-pop artists.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
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The filmmaker’s post included a photo of himself with a puppet of Metal Sonic, an evil robot version of Sonic from the gaming franchise that was teased at the end of the third movie.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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The physical displacement drives the flow of CSF through the brain’s tissues, potentially carrying away harmful waste products.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
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None of this makes AI harmful in itself.—
Jonathan Avery,
STAT,
11 May 2026
Adjective
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The play was naughty stuff in 1925, when the show, starring Tallulah Bankhead, got banned.—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
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But theatergoers around me couldn’t seem to get enough, no matter how repetitive the naughty humor became.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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The failure of so many in the political world to speak up displays a sad and growing moral bankruptcy.—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
14 May 2026
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Don’t be sad — this is not a farewell forever.—
Denni Hu,
Footwear News,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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The Federal Trade Commission’s Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule requires sellers to deliver merchandise as promised or issue a prompt refund when a product is defective or undelivered.—
Christopher Elliott,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
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These were chips with one defective GPU core that Apple reportedly retained from the iPhone production for MacBook Neo.—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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Imagine taking the rotten parking meter deal statewide.—
Jackson Potter,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
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All around there was the pleasant rotten smell of dead fish in open air.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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Place a bowl of coffee grounds in the offending area (or, in the case of your shoes, place dry grounds in an old sock or cloth tied up and leave overnight inside the shoe) and let the grounds absorb unpleasant odors, says Rocky Vuong, founder of Calibre Cleaning Unlimited.—
Alexandra Kelly,
Martha Stewart,
9 May 2026
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Years later, the teenaged Daughter lets in a woman from the outside, which causes chaos in their relationship and reveals some unpleasant secrets.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bad. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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