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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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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Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
bad news
bad weather
bad luck
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of bad
Seth Reiss, New Yorker, 10 July 2025
But Littell, who had been on a good roll, had — by his standards — a bad day, allowing the Tigers to go ahead 3-2 in the fourth.
—Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 July 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
John Samuels, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025
But the amount of rain is only one factor in how many people will become severely ill with West Nile, said Dr. Daniel Pastula, chief of neuroinfectious diseases and global neurology at University of Colorado School of Medicine.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 3 July 2025
Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
The zoo announced the cub died on April 4 after unexpectedly and suddenly falling ill.
—Rachel Wegner, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
But the strikes of 2023 that delayed releases slated for 2024 were never the only ills plaguing the entertainment sector.
—Judy Berman, Time, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bad
Adjective
Don’t want to suggest that time is slow or that time is bad which might make people dislike time and, by association, the watch.
00:00:34: Not good.
00:00:36: Re: when the actor raises the drink to his mouth.
—Seth Reiss, New Yorker, 10 July 2025
But Littell, who had been on a good roll, had — by his standards — a bad day, allowing the Tigers to go ahead 3-2 in the fourth.
—Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 July 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
Compounding the crisis: only 85 PCPs exist per 100,000 Americans, a ratio woefully inadequate for an aging, chronically ill population.
—John Samuels, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025
But the amount of rain is only one factor in how many people will become severely ill with West Nile, said Dr. Daniel Pastula, chief of neuroinfectious diseases and global neurology at University of Colorado School of Medicine.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 3 July 2025
Adverb
Being away from other kids for so long left them ill equipped for the most basic interactions.
—Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
The zoo announced the cub died on April 4 after unexpectedly and suddenly falling ill.
—Rachel Wegner, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Noun
In the early 1900s, journalism, the muckrakers, became highly influential, raising awareness about many social ills, including child labor, unsafe working conditions and unsanitary food processing.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
But the strikes of 2023 that delayed releases slated for 2024 were never the only ills plaguing the entertainment sector.
—Judy Berman, Time, 3 June 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 16 Jul. 2025.
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