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

Example Sentences

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 See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
There are credible reports that the performance has gotten worse for some users in North America. Brian Westover, PCMAG, 17 May 2023 He was born with a disability at a time when many children with his condition would have, at worst, been put in an institution and, at best, been allowed to live at home, probably not attending school and definitely not participating in sports. The Indianapolis Star, 17 May 2023 That’s not just bad for business, but for civil liberties too. David L. Bahnsen, National Review, 17 May 2023 Homesteading requires many upfront costs, which inflation has only made worse. Chris Moody, Anchorage Daily News, 16 May 2023 His performance isn’t bad, and neither is Maïwenn’s in the lead role. Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 May 2023 That kind of put a little bit of a bad taste in my mouth. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 16 May 2023 As Big Oil looks worse during an era of visible environmental change, such lavishness at the top isn’t really a good look. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 15 May 2023 Stargazers of yore tended to perceive supernovae as bad omens, Penprase says, and in today’s climate of misinformation and science denialism, Betelgeuse’s demise could prompt some concerning responses. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 15 May 2023
Noun
Good drama is the choice between two bads. Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Mar. 2023 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 Then a new big bad entered the arena. Peter Rubin, Longreads, 15 Apr. 2022 So what was the rationale behind introducing our new big bad in the exact opposite way? Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Feb. 2023 In addition to setting up the Multiverse Saga, the film also includes the introduction of Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), who serves as the new big bad for the MCU. Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 17 Feb. 2023 The first to face this new big bad of the MCU’s Phases 5 and 6 will be the multigenerational Lang-Van Dyne-Pym clan, who can also collectively be called Ant-Mans and the Wasps. Tracy Brownstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2023 Jonathan Majors is playing Marvel's new big bad, Kang the Conqueror, in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and beyond. Brendan Morrow, The Week, 15 Feb. 2023 He was played by John Lithgow as the big bad of season four. Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Feb. 2023
Adverb
That started off bad and got better. Vulture, 21 Feb. 2023 That’s one bad-looking snap through two games. Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 21 Sep. 2022 Who wants frustrated and stressed-out workers bad-mouthing the company to their peers, right? Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2023 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 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 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 Also, if exposed to too much heat, humidity, or other elements, the gummies can go bad faster than the expiration date. Laxmi Corp, The Salt Lake Tribune, 30 Sep. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bad.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

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

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 31 May. 2023.

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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!