bad

1 of 3

adjective

worse ˈwərs How to pronounce bad (audio) ; worst ˈwərst How to pronounce bad (audio)
1
a
: failing to reach an acceptable standard : poor
a bad repair job
b
: unfavorable
make a bad impression
c
: not fresh : spoiled
bad fish
d
: not sound : dilapidated
the house was in bad condition
2
a
: morally objectionable : evil
bad men
b
: mischievous, disobedient
a bad dog
3
: inadequate or unsuited to a purpose
a bad plan
bad lighting
4
: disagreeable, unpleasant
bad news
5
a
: injurious, harmful
a bad influence
b
: serious, severe
in bad trouble
a bad cough
6
: incorrect, faulty
bad grammar
7
a
: suffering pain or distress
felt generally bad
b
: unhealthy, diseased
bad teeth
8
: sorrowful, sorry
feels bad about forgetting to call
9
a
: invalid, void
a bad check
b
: not able to be collected
a bad debt
10
badder; baddest slang
a
: good, great
one of the baddest songwriters to be found anywhereBlack Collegian
b
: tough, mean
the baddest guy on the block
badness noun

bad

2 of 3

noun

1
: something that is bad
There's more good than bad in him.
Take the good with the bad.
2
: an evil or unhappy state
Things went from bad to worse.
3
: fault sense 2
the mistake was my bad

bad

3 of 3

adverb

: badly
not doing so bad
doesn't want it bad enough
Phrases
not bad
: fairly or acceptably good
She eyes the other girls' clothes. A bright orange skirt. Good. A black cocktail dress with a gold belt. Not bad. A white dress with a blousy, frilly top. Hideous.Karl Taro Greenfeld
: quite good or impressive
For the second time in three games, Patrick Roy blanked the Dallas Stars. Not bad for a player who insists he is not a shutout goalie.The New York Times

Examples of bad in a Sentence

Adjective The house is in bad condition. a letter written in bad French He had a bad day at the office. I was having a bad dream. She made a very bad impression on her future colleagues. We've been having bad weather lately. The medicine left a bad taste in his mouth. It's a bad time for business right now. Things are looking pretty bad for us at this point. I have a bad feeling about this. Noun There's more good than bad in him. We need to teach our children the difference between good and bad. teaching children the difference between the good and the bad He believes that the good go to heaven when they die and the bad go to hell. Adverb He hasn't succeeded because he doesn't want it bad enough. you didn't do too bad on the treadmill test
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Adjective
Moreover, customers have long been frustrated by the process of finding mental health services, adding the pandemic only made the feelings worse. Steven Aquino, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 Chest pain is also common, especially with deep breaths, and the pain may get worse depending on your position, like lying down. Alyssa Hui-Anderson, Verywell Health, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
The revenue could come from taxes on bads (pollution, for example) or on rents (including land and, above all, intellectual property). Martin Wolf, Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2015 Despite the obvious bad, there was undeniable good. Mellissa Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2023
Adverb
Remember, too much of a good thing can turn bad quickly! Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024 That started off bad and got better. Vulture, 21 Feb. 2023 See all Example Sentences for bad 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English badde, bad, of obscure origin

Note: The Middle English word apparently appears as a surname or element in surnames in the 13th century, but as an independent adjective not before the 14th century. The supposed connection with the marginally attested Old English words bæddel, bædling (vowel length uncertain) "hermaphrodite, homosexual" is possible but uncertain (direct descent of badde from bæddel through phonetic reduction is unlikely).

Noun

Middle English badde, noun derivative of badde bad entry 1

Adverb

adverbial derivative of bad entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1c

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1575, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bad was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near bad

Cite this Entry

“Bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bad. Accessed 9 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

bad

1 of 3 adjective
worse ˈwərs How to pronounce bad (audio) ; worst ˈwərst How to pronounce bad (audio)
1
a
: below standard : poor
b
: not favorable
a bad impression
c
: rotten sense 1
bad meat
2
: not good or right : morally evil or wrong
a bad person
bad behavior
3
: not enough
bad lighting
4
5
a
: harmful
bad for the health
b
: severe sense 3
a bad cold
6
: incorrect, faulty
bad spelling
7
8
: sorrowful sense 1, sorry
don't feel bad about losing
badness noun

bad

2 of 3 noun
1
: a bad thing or part
take the bad with the good
2
: a bad or unhappy state
go to the bad

bad

3 of 3 adverb
: badly
not doing so bad

Legal Definition

bad

adjective
: not valid : void
bad notice
especially : not covered by sufficient funds
a bad check

More from Merriam-Webster on bad

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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