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
badness
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
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
Karl Taro GreenfeldFor 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
The New York TimesExamples 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
Charles Singh, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
For too long, environmentalism was focused on stopping bad things, such as pollution.
—Anna Broughel, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Max Gao, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Jan. 2025
Reports out of fall camp haven’t been super favorable to their offense, and while the defense will, again, be top-notch, a team with this bad of an offense cannot be trusted.
—Austin Mock, The Athletic, 19 Aug. 2024
Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
That started off bad and got better.
—Vulture, 21 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for bad
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
President Donald Trump intends to completely reimagine U.S. trade relations with our closest partners and fiercest rivals, for better or worse.
—Charles Singh, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
For too long, environmentalism was focused on stopping bad things, such as pollution.
—Anna Broughel, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Noun
While working together on The Unit, David Mamet once told you that good drama isn’t a choice between good and bad; good drama is the choice between two bads.
—Max Gao, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Jan. 2025
Reports out of fall camp haven’t been super favorable to their offense, and while the defense will, again, be top-notch, a team with this bad of an offense cannot be trusted.
—Austin Mock, The Athletic, 19 Aug. 2024
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
Cite this Entry
“Bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bad. Accessed 8 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bad
1 of 3 adjective1
2
: not good or right : morally evil or wrong
a bad person
bad behavior
3
: not enough
bad lighting
4
: disagreeable sense 1, unpleasant
bad news
5
a
: harmful
bad for the health
b
: severe sense 3
a bad cold
7
: ill entry 1 sense 2c, sick
feel bad
8
: sorrowful sense 1, sorry
don't feel bad about losing
badness
noun
bad
2 of 3 noun1
: 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
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