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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Try This Instead
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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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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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Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
bad news
bad weather
bad luck
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bad
Wafaa Shurafa, Time, 11 May 2025
Below, a few of my favorite books about bad mothering, from the benignly neglectful to the downright evil.
—Sarah Harman, People.com, 11 May 2025
J. Richard Gott, Scientific American, 17 Feb. 2021
The researchers think that by expelling their bad-tasting innards when fish are nibbling nearby, sea squirts may drive the fish away.
—Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 26 June 2015
Joe George, Men's Health, 16 Feb. 2023
So what was the rationale behind introducing our new big bad in the exact opposite way?
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Feb. 2023
Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 2 May 2025
More 100 children who consumed the contaminated lunch meals fell ill in the town of Mokama, CNN affiliate CNN News 18 reported.
—Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 1 May 2025
Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 1 May 2025
According to Telegraph India, among the people who were rescued, 13 fell ill and were taken to the hospital
At least 14 people have reportedly died after a hotel fire in India.
—Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2025
Every possible ill, every source of embarrassment to their bourgeois sensibilities, was blamed on the plant.
—Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bad
Adjective
Aid groups say the humanitarian crisis is worse than at any time in the 19-month war.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Time, 11 May 2025
Below, a few of my favorite books about bad mothering, from the benignly neglectful to the downright evil.
—Sarah Harman, People.com, 11 May 2025
Adverb
Ignoring one of them can lead you to bad-looking maps no one would prefer.
—J. Richard Gott, Scientific American, 17 Feb. 2021
The researchers think that by expelling their bad-tasting innards when fish are nibbling nearby, sea squirts may drive the fish away.
—Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 26 June 2015
Noun
In the Avenge the Earth storyline, those big bads included Apocalypse, the first mutant, and, of course, Kang the Conqueror.
—Joe George, Men's Health, 16 Feb. 2023
So what was the rationale behind introducing our new big bad in the exact opposite way?
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Feb. 2023
Adjective
Police had to transport the ill children to the hospital for treatment, according to the outlet.
Villagers in the area, who were angered by the reports of the children falling ill due to the free Mid-Day Meals, allegedly protested by blocking the road, the NHRC said.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 2 May 2025
More 100 children who consumed the contaminated lunch meals fell ill in the town of Mokama, CNN affiliate CNN News 18 reported.
—Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 1 May 2025
Adverb
Though there were many cases of people falling ill.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 1 May 2025
According to Telegraph India, among the people who were rescued, 13 fell ill and were taken to the hospital
At least 14 people have reportedly died after a hotel fire in India.
—Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Noun
From worrying about how much TV little kids can watch to what social media is doing to the mental health of teens, parenting has turned into a constant battle against the ills of the screen.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2025
Every possible ill, every source of embarrassment to their bourgeois sensibilities, was blamed on the plant.
—Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 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 22 May. 2025.
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