bad 1 of 3

adjective

ˈbad How to pronounce bad (audio)
Definition of badnext
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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bad

2 of 3

adverb

as in badly
in an unsatisfactory way you didn't do too bad on the treadmill test

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bad

3 of 3

noun

as in wrong
that which is morally unacceptable there's bad and good in people of every race and nationality

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bad
Adjective
This team was bottom 5 last year and has shown worse defensive metrics to start this year. — James Mirtle, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026 Officials and researchers have warned that El Niño’s effects on the Amazon could be worse in 2027 than this year. — ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Adverb
Pull leftovers that still need to be eaten to the front, along with any foods that are going to go bad soon. — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Nov. 2025 This can make your water smell bad, affect the taste, and could lead to illness. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 18 Nov. 2025
Noun
In times when the city's bad seems to overshadow the good, Daniels and others like him can be a guidepost for generations to come. — Sophia Tiedge, jsonline.com, 11 Sep. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for bad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bad
  1. unacceptable
  2. evil
  3. harmful
  4. naughty
  5. sad
  6. defective
  7. rotten
  8. unpleasant
Adjective
  • Detection is no substitute for prevention, not when consequences are truly unacceptable.
    — Andrew Ginter, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The win won’t change what’s frankly been an unacceptable campaign for a program that was 18-1-4 just two seasons ago.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of unacceptable
Adjective
  • What Baldwin is lamenting is our tendency to fall back on binaries — right and wrong, good and evil — rather than to struggle with complexity.
    — David L. Ulin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • It's based on a Russian fairy tale called the Firebird, which is about a young prince who rescues a coterie of princesses from an evil sorcerer.
    — Libby Smith, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of evil
Adjective
  • Local government and outside groups have long strived to ban the popular tourist attraction that critics argue is harmful to horses’ well-being.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Waters are becoming cloudier overall, while harmful algal blooms — measured through chlorophyll a levels — are trending in the wrong direction, the report found.
    — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of harmful
Adjective
  • Don't get too friendly, though–some of the more naughty giraffes like to give the occasional head butt.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The film’s naughty, not-quite-PG side is perfectly exemplified by its titular hero.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of naughty
Adjective
  • When the modern-day world has nothing to offer us but AI slop, shrinkflation and a sad acceptance that we can't be bothered to do anything about global warming.
    — Ian Stokes, Space.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • This island that was so fantastic has become Work Island and that’s sad.
    — Joe Lynch, Billboard, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of sad
Adjective
  • Recent court cases have used similar arguments, framing social media to judges and jurors as defective products causing children harm.
    — Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Trump’s successors will need to salvage his defective effort to help guide this transition.
    — Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of defective
Adjective
  • Sometimes your potatoes will be not be super clean with little sprouts and little rotten bits that need to be cut off.
    — Andy Baraghani, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026
  • He was filled with a sudden sense of hopelessness, a rotten sadness.
    — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of rotten
Adjective
  • From a computational perspective, Friston argues, attempting to reduce uncertainty—basically, working to avoid unpleasant surprises—is the brain’s primary goal.
    — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Adapted by Duffield and Daniel Kraus from Kraus’ 2023 novel, this spectacularly unpleasant underwater adventure delivers on its premise with effects that are graphic, fascinating, and occasionally beautiful.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of unpleasant

Phrases Containing bad

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backyards
bad
bad blood
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Cite this Entry

“Bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bad. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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