Other word meaning bad

  • atrocious
  • awful
  • cheap
  • crummy
  • dreadful
  • lousy
  • poor
  • rough
  • sad
  • unacceptable
  • blah
  • bummer
  • diddly
  • downer
  • garbage
  • gross
  • imperfect
  • inferior
  • junky
  • synthetic
  • abominable
  • amiss
  • bad news
  • beastly
  • careless
  • cheesy
  • crappy
  • cruddy
  • defective
  • deficient
  • dissatisfactory
  • erroneous
  • fallacious
  • faulty
  • godawful
  • grody
  • grungy
  • icky
  • inadequate
  • incorrect
  • not good
  • off
  • raunchy
  • slipshod
  • stinking
  • substandard
  • the pits
  • unsatisfactory
  • dangerous
  • unhealthy
  • damaging
  • deleterious
  • detrimental
  • hurtful
  • injurious
  • ruinous
  • evil
  • wrong
  • base
  • criminal
  • delinquent
  • mean
  • reprobate
  • corrupt
  • iniquitous
  • sinful
  • vicious
  • vile
  • villainous
  • wicked
  • wrong
  • disobedient
  • ill-behaved
  • misbehaving
  • naughty
  • unruly
  • rotten
  • sour
  • moldy
  • off
  • putrid
  • rancid
  • spoiled
  • disastrous
  • distressing
  • harsh
  • intense
  • painful
  • serious
  • terrible
  • grave
  • ill
  • ailing
  • diseased
  • in pain
  • unwell
  • sad
  • down
  • downcast
  • low
  • regretful
  • upset
  • apologetic
  • conscience-stricken
  • contrite
  • crestfallen
  • dejected
  • depressed
  • disconsolate
  • downhearted
  • guilty
  • remorseful
  • woebegone
  • grim
  • unfavorable
  • unfortunate
  • unpleasant
  • melancholy
  • adverse
  • disagreeable
  • discouraged
  • discouraging
  • displeasing
  • distressed
  • gloomy
  • troubled
  • troubling
  • unhappy

On this page you’ll find 313 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to bad, such as: atrocious, awful, cheap, crummy, dreadful, and lousy.

antonyms for bad

  • OK
  • good
  • great
  • lucky
  • pleasing
  • sophisticated
  • superior
  • wonderful
  • advantageous
  • beneficial
  • benevolent
  • honest
  • profitable
  • reputable
  • right
  • true
  • undecayed
  • upright
  • worthy
  • advantageous
  • beneficial
  • benevolent
  • good
  • OK
  • reputable
  • decent
  • good
  • honest
  • moral
  • noble
  • benevolent
  • just
  • reputable
  • right
  • true
  • upright
  • virtuous
  • worthy
  • good
  • obedient
  • well-behaved
  • virtuous
  • all right
  • appetizing
  • fresh
  • OK
  • undecayed
  • unspoiled
  • mild
  • good
  • OK
  • well
  • cheerful
  • happy
  • heartened
  • satisfied
  • good
  • OK
  • good
  • happy
  • virtuous

Roget’s 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

TRY USING bad

See how your sentence looks with different synonyms.

WHEN TO USE

What are other ways to say bad?

When describing things that are lacking in moral qualities or are actually vicious and reprehensible, bad is the broadest and simplest term: a bad man; bad habits. Evil applies to that which violates or leads to the violation of moral law: evil practices. Ill now appears mainly in certain fixed expressions, with a milder implication than that in evil: ill will; ill-natured. Wicked implies willful and determined doing of what is very wrong: a wicked plan.

How to use bad in a sentence

The «bad form» of telling a lie to the head-master is a later illustration of the same thing.

CHILDREN’S WAYSJAMES SULLY

SYNONYM OF THE DAY

OCTOBER 26, 1985

WORDS RELATED TO BAD

  • abhorrent
  • atrocious
  • awful
  • bad
  • base
  • beastly
  • contemptible
  • cursed
  • despicable
  • disgusting
  • foul
  • grim
  • grody
  • gross
  • hairy
  • hateful
  • heinous
  • hellish
  • horrible
  • horrid
  • loathsome
  • lousy
  • nauseating
  • obnoxious
  • odious
  • offensive
  • repellent
  • reprehensible
  • repugnant
  • repulsive
  • revolting
  • rotten
  • sleazy
  • stinking
  • terrible
  • vile
  • wretched
  • awry
  • bad
  • confused
  • crooked
  • erring
  • erroneous
  • fallacious
  • false
  • faulty
  • flawed
  • foul
  • glitched up
  • haywire
  • imperfect
  • improper
  • inaccurate
  • inappropriate
  • incorrect
  • mistaken
  • out of order
  • sick
  • unfair
  • unlawful
  • unsuitable
  • untoward
  • alarming
  • astounding
  • awful
  • bad
  • daunting
  • dire
  • disheartening
  • dismaying
  • dreadful
  • fearful
  • formidable
  • frightening
  • frightful
  • ghastly
  • grim
  • grody
  • gross
  • harrowing
  • heavy
  • hideous
  • horrible
  • horrid
  • horrific
  • intimidating
  • mean
  • petrifying
  • scaring
  • shocking
  • terrible
  • terrifying
  • the end
  • unnerving
  • appalling
  • awful
  • bad
  • beastly
  • detestable
  • disgusting
  • dreadful
  • execrable
  • foul
  • godawful
  • grody
  • gross
  • horrible
  • horrid
  • horrifying
  • icky
  • loathsome
  • noisome
  • obscene
  • repulsive
  • rotten
  • sickening
  • terrible
  • afflictive
  • annoying
  • bad
  • brutal
  • calamitous
  • cruel
  • dire
  • disagreeable
  • displeasing
  • distasteful
  • disturbing
  • galling
  • grievous
  • hard
  • harsh
  • heartbreaking
  • hurtful
  • inclement
  • intemperate
  • intense
  • merciless
  • offensive
  • poignant
  • provoking
  • rigorous
  • rugged
  • ruthless
  • savage
  • severe
  • sharp
  • stinging
  • unpalatable
  • unpleasant
  • vexatious
  • woeful
  • atrocious
  • bad
  • diabolical
  • evil
  • fiendish
  • iniquitous
  • mean
  • nefarious
  • vile
  • villainous
  • wicked

Roget’s 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

Источник

Thesaurus

Synonyms of bad

  • adjective



  • as in unacceptable



  • as in evil



  • as in harmful



  • as in naughty



  • as in sad



  • as in defective



  • as in rotten



  • as in unpleasant



  • as in terrible



  • as in poorly



  • as in invalid



  • as in malicious

  • adverb



  • as in badly

  • noun



  • as in wrong

  • as in unacceptable
  • as in evil
  • as in harmful
  • as in naughty
  • as in sad
  • as in defective
  • as in rotten
  • as in unpleasant
  • as in terrible
  • as in poorly
  • as in invalid
  • as in malicious
  • as in badly
  • as in wrong



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bad
1 of 3

adjective

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

  • unacceptable

  • wrong

  • poor

  • lame

  • horrible

  • awful

  • terrible

  • disastrous

  • deficient

  • flawed

  • dreadful

  • pathetic

  • unsatisfactory

  • crummy

  • brutal

  • lousy

  • suboptimal

  • wretched

  • sour

  • bastard

  • subpar

  • substandard

  • ill

  • lacking

  • inadequate

  • off

  • from hunger

  • rotten

  • inferior

  • defective

  • wack

  • dissatisfactory

  • below par

  • wanting

  • bush

  • crumby

  • useless

  • miserable

  • punk

  • worthless

  • paltry

  • short

  • abysmal

  • insufficient

  • atrocious

  • gross

  • horrendous

  • under par

  • deplorable

  • sucky

  • detestable

  • damnable

  • crappy

  • stinky

  • bush—league

  • vile

  • mediocre

  • lesser

  • shoddy

  • unspeakable

  • faulty

  • abominable

  • common

  • egregious

  • execrable

  • gnarly

  • odious

  • junky

  • reprehensible

  • cheesy

  • bum

  • trashy

  • flagrant

  • rubbishy

  • sleazy

  • shabby

  • valueless

  • meager

  • skimpy

  • bitchin’

  • villainous

  • stingy

  • miserly

  • mean

  • coarse

  • scurrilous

  • skimp

  • scanty

  • fake

  • miscreant

  • low—grade

  • low—rent

  • spare

  • second—rate

  • counterfeit

  • meagre

  • phony

  • sham

  • cut—rate

  • niggardly

  • phoney


Antonyms & Near Antonyms

  • acceptable

  • okay

  • adequate

  • decent

  • satisfactory

  • great

  • fine

  • tolerable

  • standard

  • excellent

  • better

  • respectable

  • perfect

  • passable

  • wonderful

  • terrific

  • classical

  • classic

  • superior

  • splendid

  • superb

  • exceptional

  • special

  • marvelous

  • stellar

  • marvellous

  • divine

  • mean

  • neat

  • noble

  • sufficient

  • choice

  • fabulous

  • prime

  • sensational

  • exceptional

  • heavenly

  • dandy

  • superlative

  • mediocre

  • fancy

  • top

  • swell

  • par excellence

  • grand

  • nifty

  • all right

  • keen

  • slick

  • average

  • minimal

  • fair

  • sterling

  • OK

  • premium

  • useful

  • unsurpassed

  • boss

  • capital

  • suitable

  • banner

  • worthy

  • unexceptional

  • middling

  • supernal

  • borderline

  • groovy

  • top—notch

  • so—so

  • first—rate

  • crackerjack

  • satisfying

  • tip—top

  • jim—dandy

  • bang—up

  • first—class

  • high—test

  • gratifying

  • high—grade

  • A1

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  • acceptable

  • okay

  • adequate

  • decent

  • satisfactory

  • great

  • fine

  • tolerable

  • standard

  • excellent

  • better

  • respectable

  • perfect

  • passable

  • wonderful

  • terrific

  • classical

  • classic

  • superior

  • splendid

  • superb

  • exceptional

  • special

  • marvelous

  • stellar

  • marvellous

  • divine

  • mean

  • neat

  • noble

  • sufficient

  • choice

  • fabulous

  • prime

  • sensational

  • exceptional

  • heavenly

  • dandy

  • superlative

  • mediocre

  • fancy

  • top

  • swell

  • par excellence

  • grand

  • nifty

  • all right

  • keen

  • slick

  • average

  • minimal

  • fair

  • sterling

  • OK

  • premium

  • useful

  • unsurpassed

  • boss

  • capital

  • suitable

  • banner

  • worthy

  • unexceptional

  • middling

  • supernal

  • borderline

  • groovy

  • top—notch

  • so—so

  • first—rate

  • crackerjack

  • satisfying

  • tip—top

  • jim—dandy

  • bang—up

  • first—class

  • high—test

  • gratifying

  • high—grade

  • A1

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2

as in evil

not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable

stealing is just plain bad

Synonyms & Similar Words

  • evil

  • immoral

  • sinful

  • unlawful

  • vicious

  • dark

  • vile

  • wicked

  • wrong

  • rotten

  • ugly

  • obscene

  • cruel

  • improper

  • corrupt

  • villainous

  • nefarious

  • infamous

  • offensive

  • illegal

  • unethical

  • nasty

  • dirty

  • cursed

  • iniquitous

  • unauthorized

  • unsavory

  • unrighteous

  • atrocious

  • ill

  • naughty

  • condemned

  • contemptible

  • mean

  • sick

  • prohibited

  • disreputable

  • despicable

  • unhealthy

  • forbidden

  • sordid

  • incorrect

  • ignoble

  • lousy

  • dishonest

  • fallen

  • objectionable

  • infernal

  • miserable

  • base

  • reprehensible

  • ungodly

  • pernicious

  • loose

  • perverted

  • depraved

  • snide

  • unwholesome

  • blameworthy

  • noxious

  • discouraged

  • degenerate

  • censurable

  • wretched

  • scrofulous

  • debased

  • low

  • blamable

  • debauched

  • unclean

  • pestilential

  • banned

  • dissolute

  • unscrupulous

  • indecent

  • libertine

  • outlawed

  • unseemly

  • execrable

  • reprobate

  • evil—minded

  • dishonorable

  • unprincipled

  • proscribed

  • vulgar

  • low—minded

  • barred

  • disallowed

  • cussed

  • defiling

  • errant

  • unbecoming

  • erring

  • curst

  • interdicted

  • indecorous


Antonyms & Near Antonyms

  • good

  • right

  • decent

  • moral

  • high

  • honorable

  • virtuous

  • honest

  • just

  • ethical

  • legitimate

  • righteous

  • noble

  • sublime

  • legal

  • upright

  • permissible

  • lofty

  • reputable

  • scrupulous

  • permitted

  • elevated

  • proper

  • correct

  • decent

  • authorized

  • licensed

  • allowed

  • endorsed

  • approved

  • clean

  • legitimate

  • perfect

  • promoted

  • sanctioned

  • supported

  • exemplary

  • principled

  • white

  • pure

  • high—minded

  • encouraged

  • commendable

  • blameless

  • seemly

  • innocent

  • creditable

  • law—abiding

  • wholesome

  • worthy

  • decorous

  • guiltless

  • unobjectionable

  • indorsed

  • immaculate

  • irreproachable

  • spotless

  • venerable

  • inoffensive

  • incorruptible

  • abetted

  • chaste

  • respected

  • uncorrupted

  • unerring

  • esteemed

  • unfallen

  • squeaky—clean

  • lily—white

  • upstanding

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  • good

  • right

  • decent

  • moral

  • high

  • honorable

  • virtuous

  • honest

  • just

  • ethical

  • legitimate

  • righteous

  • noble

  • sublime

  • legal

  • upright

  • permissible

  • lofty

  • reputable

  • scrupulous

  • permitted

  • elevated

  • proper

  • correct

  • decent

  • authorized

  • licensed

  • allowed

  • endorsed

  • approved

  • clean

  • legitimate

  • perfect

  • promoted

  • sanctioned

  • supported

  • exemplary

  • principled

  • white

  • pure

  • high—minded

  • encouraged

  • commendable

  • blameless

  • seemly

  • innocent

  • creditable

  • law—abiding

  • wholesome

  • worthy

  • decorous

  • guiltless

  • unobjectionable

  • indorsed

  • immaculate

  • irreproachable

  • spotless

  • venerable

  • inoffensive

  • incorruptible

  • abetted

  • chaste

  • respected

  • uncorrupted

  • unerring

  • esteemed

  • unfallen

  • squeaky—clean

  • lily—white

  • upstanding

See More

3

as in harmful

causing or capable of causing harm

sitting too close to the television is said to be bad for the eyes

Synonyms & Similar Words

  • harmful

  • detrimental

  • dangerous

  • damaging

  • adverse

  • evil

  • hazardous

  • poisonous

  • injurious

  • deleterious

  • ill

  • pernicious

  • wicked

  • hurtful

  • noxious

  • prejudicial

  • baneful

  • infectious

  • mischievous

  • destructive

  • unsafe

  • baleful

  • deadly

  • nocuous

  • risky

  • unfriendly

  • hostile

  • ominous

  • sinister

  • lethal

  • threatening

  • insidious

  • nasty

  • unhealthy

  • fatal

  • inimical

  • infective

  • venomous

  • perilous

  • pestilential

  • unhealthful

  • contagious

  • unwholesome

  • menacing

  • pestilent

  • ruinous

  • unsound

  • jeopardizing

  • pestiferous

  • malignant

  • killer

  • parlous

  • imperiling

  • noisome

  • imperilling


Antonyms & Near Antonyms

  • good

  • safe

  • harmless

  • beneficial

  • useful

  • innocuous

  • benign

  • innocent

  • favorable

  • advantageous

  • inoffensive

  • anodyne

  • healthy

  • helpful

  • propitious

  • wholesome

  • healthful

  • sound

  • salutary

  • remedial

  • hurtless

  • curative

  • salubrious

  • palliative

  • secure

  • benignant

  • nontoxic

  • nondestructive

  • nonpoisonous

  • noninfectious

  • nonfatal

  • noncorrosive

  • nonlethal

  • nonpolluting

  • nonvenomous

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  • good

  • safe

  • harmless

  • beneficial

  • useful

  • innocuous

  • benign

  • innocent

  • favorable

  • advantageous

  • inoffensive

  • anodyne

  • healthy

  • helpful

  • propitious

  • wholesome

  • healthful

  • sound

  • salutary

  • remedial

  • hurtless

  • curative

  • salubrious

  • palliative

  • secure

  • benignant

  • nontoxic

  • nondestructive

  • nonpoisonous

  • noninfectious

  • nonfatal

  • noncorrosive

  • nonlethal

  • nonpolluting

  • nonvenomous

See More

4

as in naughty

engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior

the children were bad, so they didn’t get dessert

Synonyms & Similar Words

  • naughty

  • mischievous

  • rude

  • selfish

  • contrary

  • improper

  • childish

  • misbehaving

  • rebellious

  • errant

  • wicked

  • evil

  • immature

  • disrespectful

  • froward

  • wild

  • corrupt

  • uncontrollable

  • impolite

  • defiant

  • impudent

  • wrongheaded

  • wayward

  • uncouth

  • balky

  • juvenile

  • disobedient

  • insolent

  • unmannerly

  • unkind

  • monkeying

  • unruly

  • indecorous

  • obstreperous

  • recalcitrant

  • intractable

  • perverse

  • thoughtless

  • headstrong

  • untoward

  • dissolute

  • ornery

  • rowdy

  • knavish

  • waggish

  • prankish

  • willful

  • ungovernable

  • transgressing

  • inconsiderate

  • ill—natured

  • impish

  • roguish

  • unkindly

  • disorderly

  • mutinous

  • ill—mannered

  • refractory

  • ruffianly

  • elfish

  • monkeyish

  • restive

  • wilful

  • infantile

  • rascally

  • arch

  • insurgent

  • pixieish

  • puerile

  • disobliging

  • babyish

  • kiddish

  • jejune


Antonyms & Near Antonyms

  • nice

  • correct

  • decent

  • proper

  • moral

  • behaved

  • orderly

  • respectable

  • clean

  • dutiful

  • compliant

  • obedient

  • complying

  • divine

  • submissive

  • pleasant

  • polite

  • thoughtful

  • courteous

  • heavenly

  • acquiescent

  • kindly

  • considerate

  • decorous

  • behaving

  • angelic

  • amenable

  • amiable

  • mannerly

  • docile

  • cherubic

  • modest

  • complaisant

  • tractable

  • angelical

  • mature

  • adult

  • discreet

  • governable

  • good—natured

  • obliging

  • grown—up

See More

  • nice

  • correct

  • decent

  • proper

  • moral

  • behaved

  • orderly

  • respectable

  • clean

  • dutiful

  • compliant

  • obedient

  • complying

  • divine

  • submissive

  • pleasant

  • polite

  • thoughtful

  • courteous

  • heavenly

  • acquiescent

  • kindly

  • considerate

  • decorous

  • behaving

  • angelic

  • amenable

  • amiable

  • mannerly

  • docile

  • cherubic

  • modest

  • complaisant

  • tractable

  • angelical

  • mature

  • adult

  • discreet

  • governable

  • good—natured

  • obliging

  • grown—up

See More

5

as in sad

feeling unhappiness

hearing about the world’s miseries always makes him feel bad

Synonyms & Similar Words

  • sad

  • unhappy

  • miserable

  • depressed

  • heartbroken

  • sorry

  • upset

  • worried

  • melancholy

  • disappointed

  • uneasy

  • troubled

  • hopeless

  • wretched

  • woeful

  • gloomy

  • sorrowful

  • mournful

  • depressing

  • glum

  • dejected

  • joyless

  • down

  • woebegone

  • doleful

  • downhearted

  • blue

  • low

  • heartsick

  • suicidal

  • saddened

  • disconsolate

  • forlorn

  • crestfallen

  • droopy

  • discouraged

  • brokenhearted

  • downcast

  • melancholic

  • inconsolable

  • distressed

  • cast down

  • hangdog

  • despondent

  • low—spirited

  • heavyhearted

  • heartsore

  • bleak

  • sunk

  • despairing

  • aggrieved

  • tearful

  • grieving

  • regretful

  • dismal

  • down in the mouth

  • dispirited

  • disheartened

  • morbid

  • dark

  • somber

  • lugubrious

  • unquiet

  • dreary

  • desolate

  • weeping

  • gray

  • anguished

  • cheerless

  • dolorous

  • darkening

  • agonized

  • black

  • morose

  • lachrymose

  • rueful

  • murky

  • sullen

  • wailing

  • plaintive

  • elegiacal

  • comfortless

  • drear

  • saturnine

  • elegiac

  • grey

  • funereal

  • sombre


Antonyms & Near Antonyms

  • happy

  • glad

  • joyous

  • cheerful

  • joyful

  • cheery

  • blissful

  • sunny

  • gleeful

  • upbeat

  • ecstatic

  • jolly

  • exuberant

  • jubilant

  • merry

  • optimistic

  • buoyant

  • euphoric

  • delighted

  • buoyed

  • rapturous

  • rosy

  • jovial

  • overjoyed

  • excited

  • rhapsodical

  • hopeful

  • exultant

  • chipper

  • elated

  • jocular

  • mirthful

  • enraptured

  • blithe

  • exhilarated

  • rhapsodic

  • vital

  • blithesome

  • jocose

  • thrilled

  • jocund

  • sanguine

  • careless

  • frisky

  • energetic

  • satisfied

  • gladdened

  • lightsome

  • spirited

  • entranced

  • perky

  • gladsome

  • content

  • laughing

  • peppy

  • pleased

  • smiling

  • encouraged

  • bouncing

  • vivacious

  • animated

  • lively

  • springy

  • unconcerned

  • zippy

  • boon

  • sprightly

  • jaunty

  • carefree

  • gratified

  • cavalier

  • easygoing

  • lighthearted

  • sprightful

  • grinning

  • heartened

  • insouciant

  • beaming

  • happy—go—lucky

  • devil—may—care

See More

  • happy

  • glad

  • joyous

  • cheerful

  • joyful

  • cheery

  • blissful

  • sunny

  • gleeful

  • upbeat

  • ecstatic

  • jolly

  • exuberant

  • jubilant

  • merry

  • optimistic

  • buoyant

  • euphoric

  • delighted

  • buoyed

  • rapturous

  • rosy

  • jovial

  • overjoyed

  • excited

  • rhapsodical

  • hopeful

  • exultant

  • chipper

  • elated

  • jocular

  • mirthful

  • enraptured

  • blithe

  • exhilarated

  • rhapsodic

  • vital

  • blithesome

  • jocose

  • thrilled

  • jocund

  • sanguine

  • careless

  • frisky

  • energetic

  • satisfied

  • gladdened

  • lightsome

  • spirited

  • entranced

  • perky

  • gladsome

  • content

  • laughing

  • peppy

  • pleased

  • smiling

  • encouraged

  • bouncing

  • vivacious

  • animated

  • lively

  • springy

  • unconcerned

  • zippy

  • boon

  • sprightly

  • jaunty

  • carefree

  • gratified

  • cavalier

  • easygoing

  • lighthearted

  • sprightful

  • grinning

  • heartened

  • insouciant

  • beaming

  • happy—go—lucky

  • devil—may—care

See More

6

as in defective

having a fault

a bad video connection that is causing some picture loss

Synonyms & Similar Words

  • defective

  • imperfect

  • flawed

  • damaged

  • faulty

  • broken

  • incomplete

  • inadequate

  • hurt

  • spoiled

  • amiss

  • insufficient

  • crippled

  • harmed

  • marred

  • fallible

  • injured

  • impaired

  • on the blink

  • blemished

  • disfigured

  • vitiated

  • deficient

  • defaced

  • wanting


Antonyms & Near Antonyms

  • perfect

  • whole

  • entire

  • flawless

  • impeccable

  • faultless

  • complete

  • intact

  • undamaged

  • unimpaired

  • unspoiled

  • unblemished

See More

  • perfect

  • whole

  • entire

  • flawless

  • impeccable

  • faultless

  • complete

  • intact

  • undamaged

  • unimpaired

  • unspoiled

  • unblemished

See More

7

as in rotten

having undergone organic breakdown

I think the milk has turned bad

Synonyms & Similar Words

  • rotten

  • spoiled

  • corrupted

  • putrid

  • rotting

  • decomposed

  • decayed

  • soured

  • putrefied

  • polluted

  • sour

  • turned

  • deteriorated

  • contaminated

  • addled

  • tainted

  • fouled

  • rancid

  • impure

  • degenerated

  • corroded

  • fermented

  • crumbled

  • decaying

  • curdled

  • moldy

  • decomposing

  • defiled

  • sourish

  • disintegrating

  • off

  • disintegrated

  • mildewy

  • putrescent

  • gangrenous

  • rank

  • putrefying

  • moldering


Antonyms & Near Antonyms

  • good

  • sweet

  • fresh

  • preserved

  • untouched

  • undecomposed

  • pristine

  • unspoiled

  • uncontaminated

  • unpolluted

  • untainted

  • undefiled

See More

  • good

  • sweet

  • fresh

  • preserved

  • untouched

  • undecomposed

  • pristine

  • unspoiled

  • uncontaminated

  • unpolluted

  • untainted

  • undefiled

See More

8

as in unpleasant

not giving pleasure to the mind or senses

the air in the damp basement had a very bad smell

Synonyms & Similar Words

  • unpleasant

  • harsh

  • horrible

  • awful

  • unpleasing

  • ugly

  • nasty

  • sour

  • rotten

  • disgusting

  • bitter

  • dreadful

  • sickening

  • wicked

  • shocking

  • disagreeable

  • icky

  • hideous

  • unwelcome

  • distasteful

  • sick

  • unpalatable

  • annoying

  • displeasing

  • yucky

  • unsavory

  • vile

  • uncongenial

  • unlovely

  • yukky

  • horrid

  • hateful

  • horrendous

  • appalling

  • abominable

  • irritating

  • gross

  • obnoxious

  • foul

  • loathsome

  • ghastly

  • revolting

  • odious

  • offensive

  • abhorrent

  • miserable

  • repulsive

  • scandalous

  • repugnant

  • obscene

  • unholy

  • hellish

  • lousy

  • invidious

  • villainous

  • god—awful

  • aggravating

  • wretched

  • crappy

  • nauseous

  • crummy

  • nauseating

  • repellent

  • beastly

  • gnarly

  • bilious

  • vexing

  • revulsive

  • sucky

  • noisome

  • seamy

  • galling

  • repellant

  • cruddy

  • crumby


Antonyms & Near Antonyms

  • good

  • nice

  • pleasant

  • grateful

  • agreeable

  • satisfying

  • welcome

  • pleasurable

  • congenial

  • gratifying

  • delightful

  • palatable

  • delicious

  • pleasing

  • sweet

  • friendly

  • charming

  • jolly

  • dreamy

  • amiable

  • kindly

  • felicitous

  • delectable

  • cheery

See More

  • good

  • nice

  • pleasant

  • grateful

  • agreeable

  • satisfying

  • welcome

  • pleasurable

  • congenial

  • gratifying

  • delightful

  • palatable

  • delicious

  • pleasing

  • sweet

  • friendly

  • charming

  • jolly

  • dreamy

  • amiable

  • kindly

  • felicitous

  • delectable

  • cheery

See More

9

as in terrible

of low quality

bad shoes that fell apart within a week

Synonyms & Similar Words

  • terrible

  • poor

  • cheap

  • rotten

  • inferior

  • common

  • worthless

  • coarse

  • crappy

  • mediocre

  • useless

  • shoddy

  • lousy

  • miserable

  • wretched

  • rubbishy

  • bum

  • junky

  • cheesy

  • trashy

  • execrable

  • sleazy

  • trumpery

  • counterfeit

  • fake

  • schlock

  • cheapjack

  • shlocky

  • schlocky

  • gimcrack

  • low—grade

  • low—rent

  • lackluster

  • second—rate

  • shlock

  • indifferent

  • el cheapo

  • cut—rate

  • valueless

  • bargain—basement

  • tawdry

  • shabby

  • gaudy

  • meretricious

  • showy

  • flashy

  • kitschy

  • garish

  • glitzy

  • tacky

  • kitsch

  • ostentatious

  • swank

  • seedy

  • splashy

  • sham

  • phony

  • swanky

  • brummagem

  • second—class

  • ultracheap

  • phoney

  • supercheap


Antonyms & Near Antonyms

  • good

  • excellent

  • fine

  • superior

  • handsome

  • elegant

  • tasteful

  • top—notch

  • first—rate

  • first—class

  • high—grade

  • polished

  • refined

  • handcrafted

See More

  • good

  • excellent

  • fine

  • superior

  • handsome

  • elegant

  • tasteful

  • top—notch

  • first—rate

  • first—class

  • high—grade

  • polished

  • refined

  • handcrafted

See More

10

as in poorly

temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body

I’ve been feeling bad all week with this cold

Synonyms & Similar Words

  • poorly

  • sick

  • down

  • shaky

  • ill

  • unhealthy

  • unwell

  • weak

  • ailing

  • troubled

  • dizzy

  • sickened

  • unsound

  • peaky

  • punk

  • under the weather

  • peaked

  • indisposed

  • lame

  • lousy

  • out of sorts

  • symptomatic

  • run—down

  • fragile

  • disabled

  • sickish

  • feeble

  • squeamish

  • nauseous

  • queasy

  • seedy

  • cruddy

  • afflicted

  • diseased

  • weakly

  • woozy

  • seasick

  • achy

  • nauseated

  • queazy

  • qualmish

  • challenged

  • decrepit

  • sickly

  • disordered

  • invalid

  • debilitated

  • feverish

  • carsick

  • halt

  • infirm

  • airsick

  • incapacitated

  • hypochondriacal

  • frail

  • hypochondriac

  • light—headed


Antonyms & Near Antonyms

  • well

  • whole

  • healthy

  • sound

  • better

  • wholesome

  • healthful

  • fit

  • conditioned

  • cured

  • hale

  • improved

  • strong

  • tough

  • recovering

  • robust

  • lusty

  • hardy

  • mending

  • well—conditioned

  • stalwart

  • hearty

  • rugged

  • flourishing

  • thriving

  • able—bodied

  • bouncing

  • blooming

  • flush

  • chipper

  • rehabilitated

  • convalescing

  • recuperating

See More

  • well

  • whole

  • healthy

  • sound

  • better

  • wholesome

  • healthful

  • fit

  • conditioned

  • cured

  • hale

  • improved

  • strong

  • tough

  • recovering

  • robust

  • lusty

  • hardy

  • mending

  • well—conditioned

  • stalwart

  • hearty

  • rugged

  • flourishing

  • thriving

  • able—bodied

  • bouncing

  • blooming

  • flush

  • chipper

  • rehabilitated

  • convalescing

  • recuperating

See More

11

as in invalid

having no legal or binding force

all known claims on the property were dismissed by the court as bad

Synonyms & Similar Words

  • invalid

  • null

  • void

  • illegal

  • worthless

  • null and void

  • useless

  • nonvalid

  • inoperative

  • nonbinding

  • nugatory

  • ineffective

  • ineffectual


Antonyms & Near Antonyms

  • good

  • valid

  • legal

  • binding

  • working

  • good

  • valid

  • legal

  • binding

  • working

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

  • malicious

  • cruel

  • vicious

  • nasty

  • hateful

  • spiteful

  • despiteful

  • bitchy

  • malevolent

  • malignant

  • harsh

  • evil

  • bitter

  • mean

  • poisonous

  • malign

  • virulent

  • jealous

  • obnoxious

  • catty

  • venomous

  • unkind

  • vindictive

  • disparaging

  • envious

  • scurvy

  • snotty

  • hostile

  • contemptuous

  • scoundrelly

  • derogatory

  • baneful

  • devious

  • unkindly

  • acrimonious

  • disdainful

  • resentful

  • snide

  • jaundiced

  • opprobrious

  • vitriolic

  • unloving

  • snakelike

  • scornful

  • caustic

  • baleful

  • inimical

  • rancorous

  • deprecating

  • acrid

  • mean—spirited

  • scathing


Antonyms & Near Antonyms

  • good

  • benign

  • loving

  • benevolent

  • kind

  • sympathetic

  • warm

  • nice

  • pleasant

  • benignant

  • friendly

  • compassionate

  • agreeable

  • kindly

  • unmalicious

  • sweet

  • gracious

  • amiable

  • kindhearted

  • cordial

  • genial

  • affable

  • affectionate

  • amorous

  • warmhearted

  • good—hearted

  • tender

  • humane

  • noble

  • altruistic

  • magnanimous

  • humanitarian

  • philanthropic

  • tenderhearted

  • philanthropical

  • high—minded

See More

  • good

  • benign

  • loving

  • benevolent

  • kind

  • sympathetic

  • warm

  • nice

  • pleasant

  • benignant

  • friendly

  • compassionate

  • agreeable

  • kindly

  • unmalicious

  • sweet

  • gracious

  • amiable

  • kindhearted

  • cordial

  • genial

  • affable

  • affectionate

  • amorous

  • warmhearted

  • good—hearted

  • tender

  • humane

  • noble

  • altruistic

  • magnanimous

  • humanitarian

  • philanthropic

  • tenderhearted

  • philanthropical

  • high—minded

See More

bad

2 of 3

adverb

as in badly

in an unsatisfactory way

you didn’t do too bad on the treadmill test

Synonyms & Similar Words

  • poorly

  • badly

  • horribly

  • terribly

  • inadequately

  • unsatisfactorily

  • awfully

  • dreadfully

  • deficiently

  • incorrectly

  • atrociously

  • horrifically

  • disastrously

  • lousily

  • horrendously

  • abysmally

  • unbearably

  • wretchedly

  • damnably

  • intolerably

  • unacceptably

  • deplorably

  • rottenly

  • inappropriately

  • execrably

  • indecently

  • grossly

  • vulgarly

  • miserably

  • detestably

  • unspeakably

  • abominably

  • unsuitably

  • egregiously

  • vilely

  • reprehensibly

  • shoddily

  • insufficiently

  • odiously

  • flagrantly

  • naughtily

  • shabbily

  • meagerly

  • inferiorly

  • niggardly

  • sleazily

  • scantily

  • skimpily

  • trashily

  • stingily

  • sparely

  • meanly

  • scantly


Antonyms & Near Antonyms

  • good

  • fine

  • well

  • okay

  • adequately

  • satisfactorily

  • nicely

  • tolerably

  • acceptably

  • all right

  • passably

  • correctly

  • appropriately

  • decently

  • rightly

  • so—so

  • suitably

  • seemly

  • fittingly

  • exactly

  • precisely

  • felicitously

  • OK

  • ideally

  • faithfully

  • palatably

  • decorously

  • respectably

  • congruously

  • meetly

  • satisfyingly

  • gratifyingly

See More

  • good

  • fine

  • well

  • okay

  • adequately

  • satisfactorily

  • nicely

  • tolerably

  • acceptably

  • all right

  • passably

  • correctly

  • appropriately

  • decently

  • rightly

  • so—so

  • suitably

  • seemly

  • fittingly

  • exactly

  • precisely

  • felicitously

  • OK

  • ideally

  • faithfully

  • palatably

  • decorously

  • respectably

  • congruously

  • meetly

  • satisfyingly

  • gratifyingly

See More

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

  • evil

  • wrong

  • badness

  • ill

  • evilness

  • sin

  • sinfulness

  • immorality

  • villainy

  • evildoing

  • iniquity

  • darkness

  • vileness

  • atrocity

  • corruption

  • heinousness

  • wickedness

  • devilishness

  • atrociousness

  • satanism

  • rot

  • balefulness

  • diabolism

  • iniquitousness

  • decay

  • canker

  • enormity

  • fiendishness

  • depravedness

  • cancer

  • devilry

  • deviltry

  • abomination

  • taboo

  • squalor

  • perversion

  • indecency

  • malefaction

  • scurrility

  • degeneracy

  • scurrilousness

  • depravity

  • debauchery

  • pervertedness

  • anathema

  • tabu


Antonyms & Near Antonyms

  • good

  • right

  • virtue

  • morality

  • goodness

  • integrity

  • decency

  • honesty

  • rectitude

  • goodness

  • righteousness

  • probity

  • uprightness

  • virtuousness

See More

  • good

  • right

  • virtue

  • morality

  • goodness

  • integrity

  • decency

  • honesty

  • rectitude

  • goodness

  • righteousness

  • probity

  • uprightness

  • virtuousness

See More

Try This Instead

For

Try This

bad news

terrible news

awful news

difficult news

unpleasant news

unfortunate news

bad weather

poor weather

awful weather

terrible weather

nasty weather

unfavorable weather

bad luck

unfortunate luck

rotten luck

miserable luck

horrible luck

lousy luck

a bad idea

a foolish idea

a dangerous idea

a poor idea

an unwise idea

an awful idea

bad behavior

malicious behavior

naughty behavior

poor behavior

terrible behavior

awful behavior

Phrases Containing bad

  • bad blood
  • bad blood

Articles Related to bad

feel bad

Is it ‘feel bad’ or ‘feel badly’?

We feel good about answering this question

presidential flub obama enormity

Words Unfit for Office

The ‘flubs’ that got presidents (and candidates) in trouble with the critics

Thesaurus Entries Near bad

backyards

bad

bad blood

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

Style

“Bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bad. Accessed 14 Apr. 2023.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bad

Nglish: Translation of bad for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of bad for Arabic Speakers

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Источник

Another word for bad!!! What are other words for “bad”? Below is the list of common synonyms for bad in English. These words will further help you build your vocabulary, especially at advanced levels.

List of Other Words for Bad

  • Atrocious
  • Damaging
  • Terrible
  • Cheesy
  • Grungy
  • Miserable
  • Worse
  • Awful
  • Inferior
  • Wicked
  • Icky
  • Cheap
  • Wretched
  • Negligent
  • Evil
  • Sad
  • Crummy
  • Defective
  • Severe
  • Imperfect
  • Deplorable
  • Guilty
  • Crappy
  • Faulty
  • Dreadful
  • Injurious
  • Grievous
  • Uncool
  • Substandard
  • Beastly
  • Appalling
  • Lousy
  • Harmful
  • Unskilled
  • Mean
  • Foul
  • Screwed
  • Critical
  • Poor
  • Negative
  • Unfortunate
  • Rough
  • Inappropriate
  • Unpleasant
  • Nasty
  • Garbage
  • Slipshod
  • Careless
  • Incompetent
  • Unhealthy
  • Rotten
  • Amateurish
  • Unacceptable
  • Painful
  • Naughty
  • Godawful
  • Stinking
  • Useless
  • Inadequate
  • Damaging
  • Second-rate
  • Abominable
  • Raunchy
  • Grody
  • Junky
  • Inept
  • Shoddy
  • Unsatisfactory
  • Execrable
  • Second-class

Bad Synonyms Examples

Atrocious

  • I began to feel atrocious toward those fellows.

Damaging

  • Some of these chemicals are very damaging to the environment.

Terrible

  • I had a terrible quarrel with my other brothers.

Cheesy

  • Don’t wear that shirt. It looks cheesy.

Grungy

  • I was wearing grungy clothes when my boyfriend showed up at the door.

Miserable

  • I’ve been so miserable since Patrick left me.

Worse

  • The interview was much worse than he had expected.

Awful

  • I felt awful when I realized what I’d done.

Inferior

  • The food at that restaurant is inferior.

Wicked

  • She got them to hand over all their money by wicked deceit.

Icky

  • They make me feel really icky and gross and uncomfortable.

Cheap

  • Don’t buy that coat – it looks cheap and nasty.

Wretched

  • He was wretched when he failed the examination.

Negligent

  • If teachers do not use reasonable care, there is a breach of duty, and they are negligent.

Evil

  • There is a great contrast between good and evil.

Sad

  • She started to cry when she heard the sad news.

Crummy

  • We were staying in this really crummy hotel.

Defective

  • Merchants will give refunds on any damaged or defective merchandise.

Severe

  • I have severe pain in the leg.

Imperfect

  • I got it cheap because it’s slightly imperfect.

Deplorable

  • The matter in your essay is good but the style is deplorable.

Guilty

  • I felt guilty about not visiting my parents more often.

Crappy

  • Please forgive the crappy quality, my built-in cam sucks.

Faulty

  • The machine won’t work because of a faulty connection.

Dreadful

  • She had an angelic smile, but a dreadful temper.

Injurious

  • He was eventually convicted of committing an injurious act, a misdemeanor, police said.

Grievous

  • Mr. Morris said the victims had suffered from a very grievous mistake.

Uncool

  • For there is an unspoken rule that to swoop too eagerly on the in-flight sweet is uncool.

Substandard

  • Most household goods sold here are substandard, but the food is plentiful and cheap.

Beastly

  • The first time I read something beastly about me I was upset.

Appalling

  • Your table manners are appalling – don’t you know how to use a knife and fork?

Lousy

  • You’re no business-woman, Mrs. Sutherland, you’re lousy at it.

Harmful

  • There is abundant evidence that cars have a harmful effect on the environment.

Unskilled

  • Large numbers of unskilled workers are employed at the lowest rates of pay.

Foul

  • He’s in a really foul temper so be careful what you say to him.

Poor

  • The company went bankrupt because of its poor management.

Negative

  • All this had an extremely negative effect on the criminal justice system.

Unpleasant

  • There have been too many unpleasant innuendoes in this debate and not enough facts.

Nasty

  • She played a really nasty trick on me – she put syrup in my shampoo bottle!

Slipshod

  • The research project was shelved due to slipshod management.

Careless

  • He remonstrated to his wife that she was too careless.

Incompetent

  • She was put off maths by a bullying and incompetent teacher.

Inadequate

  • The product provided inadequate vitamin and mineral supplementation.

Another Word for Bad | Infographic

Useful List of Other Words for Bad

Bad Synonyms

Last Updated on January 8, 2021

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What is another word for Bad?

  • substandard, poor quality

Use filters to view other words, we have 2996 synonyms for bad.

Synonyms for bad

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Collins

1    chickenshit     (U.S. slang)   defective, deficient, duff     (Brit. informal)   erroneous, fallacious, faulty, imperfect, inadequate, incorrect, inferior, low-rent     (informal, chiefly U.S.)   of a sort or of sorts, pathetic, poor, poxy     (slang)   substandard, unsatisfactory  

2    damaging, dangerous, deleterious, detrimental, harmful, hurtful, injurious, ruinous, unhealthy  

3    base, corrupt, criminal, delinquent, evil, immoral, mean, sinful, vile, villainous, wicked, wrong  

4    disobedient, mischievous, naughty, unruly  

5    decayed, mouldy, off, putrid, rancid, rotten, sour, spoiled  

6    disastrous, distressing, grave, harsh, painful, serious, severe, terrible  

7    ailing, diseased, ill, sick, unwell  

8    apologetic, conscience-stricken, contrite, guilty, regretful, remorseful, sad, sorry, upset  

9    adverse, discouraged, discouraging, distressed, distressing, gloomy, grim, low, melancholy, troubled, troubling, unfortunate, unpleasant  

10    not bad      all right, average, fair, fair to middling     (informal)   moderate, O.K. or okay     (informal)   passable, respectable, so-so     (informal)   tolerable  
  
Antonyms     
  

1    adequate, fair, satisfactory  

2    agreeable, beneficial, good, healthful, safe, sound, wholesome  

3    ethical, fine, first-rate, good, moral, righteous, virtuous  

4    biddable, docile, good, obedient, well-behaved  

bad blood     
acrimony, anger, animosity, antagonism, dislike, enmity, feud, hatred, ill feeling, ill will, malevolence, malice, rancour, resentment, seeing red  

bad manners     
boorishness, churlishness, coarseness, discourtesy, disrespect, impoliteness, incivility, inconsideration, indelicacy, rudeness, unmannerliness  
  
Antonyms     
   civility, cordiality, courteousness, courtesy, good manners, graciousness, politeness, urbanity  

bad-tempered     
angry, cantankerous, choleric, crabbed, cross, crotchety     (informal)   grouchy     (informal)   grumbling, huffy, ill-tempered, irascible, irritable, liverish, peevish, petulant, querulous, ratty     (Brit. & N.Z. informal)   splenetic, sulky, sullen, surly, testy, tetchy  
  
Antonyms     
   affable, amiable, cheerful, genial, good-humoured, good-tempered, happy, pleasant, sanguine  

English Collins Dictionary — English synonyms & Thesaurus  

Collins

bad

     ( worse    comparative)   ( worst    superlative  )

1       adj   Something that is bad is unpleasant, harmful, or undesirable.,   (Antonym: good)
   The bad weather conditions prevented the plane from landing…, We have been going through a bad time…, I’ve had a bad day at work…, Divorce is bad for children…, Analysts fear the situation is even worse than the leadership admits.     

2       adj   You use bad to indicate that something unpleasant or undesirable is severe or great in degree.  
He had a bad accident two years ago and had to give up farming…, This was a bad case of dangerous driving…, The pain is often so bad she wants to scream…, The floods are described as the worst in nearly fifty years.     

3       adj   A bad idea, decision, or method is not sensible or not correct.  
usu ADJ n  
(=poor)     (Antonym: good)
   Economist Jeffrey Faux says a tax cut is a bad idea…, Of course politicians will sometimes make bad decisions…, That’s not a bad way to proceed, just somewhat different…, The worst thing you can do is underestimate an opponent.     

4       adj   If you describe a piece of news, an action, or a sign as bad, you mean that it is unlikely to result in benefit or success.  
usu ADJ n     (Antonym: good)
   The closure of the project is bad news for her staff…, It was a bad start in my relationship with Warr…, The report couldn’t have come at a worse time for the European Commission.     

5       adj   Something that is bad is of an unacceptably low standard, quality, or amount.  
(=poor)     (Antonym: good)
   Many old people in Britain are living in bad housing…, The state schools’ main problem is that teachers’ pay is so bad…, It was absolutely the worst food I have ever had.     

6       adj   Someone who is badat doing something is not skilful or successful at it.  
v-link ADJ at -ing/n, ADJ n  
(=poor)     (Antonym: good)
   He had increased Britain’s reputation for being bad at languages…, He was a bad driver…, Rose was a poor cook and a worse mother.     

7       adj   If you say that it is bad that something happens, you mean it is unacceptable, unfortunate, or wrong.  
v-link ADJ, oft it v-link ADJ that     (Antonym: good)
   Not being able to hear doesn’t seem as bad as not being able to see…, You need at least ten pounds if you go to the cinema nowadays<endash>it’s really bad.     

8       adj   You can say that something is not bad to mean that it is quite good or acceptable, especially when you are rather surprised about this.  
with neg  
`How much is he paying you?'<emdash10001`Oh, five thousand.'<emdash10002`Not bad.’…, `How are you, mate?'<emdash10003`Not bad, mate, how’s yourself?’…, He’s not a bad chap<endash10004quite human for an accountant…, That’s not a bad idea.     

9       adj   A bad person has morally unacceptable attitudes and behaviour.  
(=wicked)     (Antonym: good)
   I was selling drugs, but I didn’t think I was a bad person…, He does not think that his beliefs make him any worse than any other man.     
♦
  badness      n-uncount  
They only recognise badness when they perceive it in others.     

10       adj   A bad child disobeys rules and instructions or does not behave in a polite and correct way.  
(=naughty)  
You are a bad boy for repeating what I told you…, Many parents find it hard to discourage bad behaviour.     

11       adj   If you are in a bad mood, you are angry and behave unpleasantly to people.  
usu ADJ n  
She is in a bit of a bad mood because she’s just given up smoking.     

12       adj   If you feelbadabout something, you feel rather sorry or guilty about it.  
feel ADJ, oft ADJ about n, ADJ that     (Antonym: good)
   You don’t have to feel bad about relaxing…, I feel bad that he’s doing most of the work…, Are you trying to make me feel bad?     

13       adj   If you have a bad back, heart, leg, or eye, it is injured, diseased, or weak.  
usu ADJ n  
Alastair has a bad back so we have a hard bed.     

14       adj   Food that has gonebad is not suitable to eat because it has started to decay.  
usu go ADJ, also ADJ n  
They bought so much beef that some went bad.     

15       adj   Bad language is language that contains offensive words such as swear words.  
usu ADJ n  
I don’t like to hear bad language in the street…, I said a bad word.     

17    If you say that it is too bad that something is the case, you mean you are sorry or sad that it is the case.  
♦
too bad      phrase   oft it v-link PHR that     (feelings)
  
(=a pity, a shame)  
It is too bad that Eleanor had to leave so soon…, Too bad he used his intelligence for criminal purposes.     

18    If you say `too bad’, you are indicating that nothing can be done to change the situation, and that you do not feel sorry or sympathetic about this.  
♦
too bad      convention  
  (feelings)
  
(=hard luck)  
Too bad if you missed the bus.     

19   
  →
  to make the best of a bad job  
  →
  best  
  →
  bad blood  
  →
  blood  
  →
  bad luck  
  →
  luck  
  →
  to get a bad press  
  →
  press  
  →
  to go from bad to worse  
  →
  worse  

bad cheque        ( bad cheques    plural  )
in AM, use bad check      A bad cheque is a bank cheque that will not be paid because there is a mistake on it, or because there is not enough money in the account of the person who wrote the cheque.      n-count  

bad debt        ( bad debts    plural  ) A bad debt is a sum of money that has been lent but is not likely to be repaid.      n-count  
The bank set aside £1.1 billion to cover bad debts from business failures.     

bad guy        ( bad guys    plural  ) A bad guy is a person in a story or film who is considered to be evil or wicked, or who is fighting on the wrong side. You can also refer to the bad guys in a situation in real life.  
INFORMAL      n-count   usu pl  
(=baddy)     (Antonym: good guy)
   In the end the `bad guys’ are caught and sent to jail.     

bad hair day        ( bad hair days    plural  ) People sometimes say they are having a bad hair day when they do not feel very happy or relaxed, especially because their hair does not look good.  
INFORMAL      n-count   usu sing  
All this fuss is because Carol is having a bad hair day.     

bad-mouth     ( bad-mouths    3rd person present)   ( bad-mouthing    present participle)   ( bad-mouthed    past tense & past participle  ) If someone bad-mouths you, they say unpleasant things about you, especially when you are not there to defend yourself.      verb  
Both men continually bad-mouthed each other.      V n  

bad-tempered     
Someone who is bad-tempered is not very cheerful and gets angry easily.      adj  
(=irritable)  
When his headaches developed Nick became bad-tempered and even violent…     

Translation English Cobuild Collins Dictionary  

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This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.

adjective, worse, worst;(Slang) bad·der, bad·dest for 36.

not good in any manner or degree.

having a wicked or evil character; morally reprehensible: There is no such thing as a bad boy.

of poor or inferior quality; defective; deficient: a bad diamond; a bad spark plug.

inadequate or below standard; not satisfactory for use: bad heating; Living conditions in some areas are very bad.

inaccurate, incorrect, or faulty: a bad guess.

invalid, unsound, or false: a bad insurance claim; bad judgment.

causing or liable to cause sickness or ill health; injurious or harmful: Too much sugar is bad for your teeth.

suffering from sickness, ill health, pain, or injury; sick; ill: He felt bad from eating the green apples.

not healthy or in good physical condition; diseased, decayed, or physically weakened: A bad heart kept him out of the army.

tainted, spoiled, or rotten, especially to the point of being inedible: The meat is bad because you left it out of the refrigerator too long.

having a disastrous or detrimental effect, result, or tendency; unfavorable: The drought is bad for the farmers. His sloppy appearance made a bad impression.

causing or characterized by discomfort, inconvenience, uneasiness, or annoyance; disagreeable; unpleasant: I had a bad flight to Chicago.

easily provoked to anger; irascible: a bad temper.

cross, irritable, or surly: If I don’t have my morning coffee, I’m in a bad mood all day.

more uncomfortable, persistent, painful, or dangerous than usual; severe: a bad attack of asthma.

causing or resulting in disaster or severe damage or destruction: a bad flood.

regretful, contrite, dejected, or upset: He felt bad about having to leave the children all alone.

disobedient, naughty, or misbehaving: If you’re bad at school, you’ll go to bed without supper.

disreputable or dishonorable: He’s getting a bad name from changing jobs so often.

displaying a lack of skill, talent, proficiency, or judgment: a bad painting; Bad drivers cause most of the accidents.

causing distress; unfortunate or unfavorable: I’m afraid I have bad news for you.

not suitable or appropriate; disadvantageous or dangerous: It was a bad day for fishing.

inclement; considered too stormy, hot, cold, etc.: We had a bad winter with a lot of snow.

disagreeable or offensive to the senses: a bad odor.

exhibiting a lack of artistic sensitivity: The room was decorated in bad taste.

not in keeping with a standard of behavior or conduct; coarse: bad manners.

(of a word, speech, or writing)

  1. vulgar, obscene, or blasphemous: bad language.
  2. not properly observing rules or customs of grammar, usage, spelling, etc.; incorrect: He speaks bad English.

unattractive, especially because of a lack of pleasing proportions: She has a bad figure.

(of the complexion) marred by defects; pockmarked or pimply; blemished: bad skin.

not profitable or worth the price paid: The land was a bad buy.

Commerce. deemed uncollectible or irrecoverable and treated as a loss: a bad debt.

ill-spent; wasted: Don’t throw good money after bad money.

counterfeit; not genuine: There was a bad ten-dollar bill in with the change.

having the character of a villain; villainous: In the movies the good guys always beat the bad guys.

Sports. failing to land within the in-bounds limits of a court or section of a court; missing the mark; not well aimed.

Slang. outstandingly excellent; first-rate: He’s a bad man on drums, and the fans love him.

noun

that which is bad: You have to take the bad with the good.

a bad condition, character, or quality: His health seemed to go from bad to worse.

Usually the bad .(used with a plural verb) evil persons collectively: The bad are always stirring up trouble.

adverb Informal.

badly: He wanted it bad enough to steal it.

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Idioms about bad

    bad off, in poor or distressed condition or circumstances; destitute: His family has been pretty bad off since he lost his job.Also badly off. Compare well-off.

    go to the bad, to deteriorate physically or morally; go to ruin: She wept at seeing her son go to the bad.

    in a bad way, in severe trouble or distress.

    in bad, Informal.

    1. in trouble or distress.
    2. in disfavor: He’s in bad with his father-in-law.

    my bad, Slang. my fault! my mistake!

    not bad,

    1. tolerably good; not without merit: The dinner wasn’t bad, but I’ve had better.
    2. not difficult: Once you know geometry, trigonometry isn’t bad.

    Also not so bad, not too bad.

    too bad, unfortunate or disappointing: It’s too bad that he didn’t go to college.

    to the bad, in arrears: He’s $100 to the bad on his debt.

Origin of bad

1

First recorded in 1200–1250; Middle English badde, bad; origin uncertain; perhaps akin to Old English bæddel “hermaphrodite,” bædling “womanish man”

usage note for bad

The adjective bad meaning “unpleasant, unattractive, unfavorable, spoiled, etc.,” is the usual form to follow such copulative verbs as sound, smell, look, and taste: After the rainstorm the water tasted bad. The coach says the locker room smells bad. After the copulative verb feel, the adjective badly in reference to physical or emotional states is also used and is standard, although bad is more common in formal writing: I feel bad from overeating. She felt badly about her friend’s misfortune.
When the adverbial use is required, badly is standard with all verbs: She reacted badly to the criticism. Bad as an adverb appears mainly in informal contexts: I didn’t do too bad on the tests. He wants money so bad it hurts. See also badly, good.

historical usage of bad

The etymology of bad is obscure, and the word has no relatives in other languages. The Middle English form badde is not clearly attested before 1300. Badde may derive from Old English bæddel, bǽddel “hermaphrodite” and bædling “womanish man.”
Bad off, in standard English now badly off, dates to the first half of the 18th century ( badly off dates to roughly the same time). The colloquialism my bad!, an Americanism, dates from the early 1980s.
Bad in its slang sense “excellent, first-rate” is surprisingly old, first appearing in print in the 1890s. It was then popularized in the 1920s within the jazz scene, and is typically associated with Black English. The slang sense “very tough, formidable” also appeared in the 19th century; it often meant “formidably skilled,” which ties in with the “excellent, first-rate” meaning.

OTHER WORDS FROM bad

badness, noun

Words nearby bad

Bactrian camel, baculiform, baculine, baculite, baculum, bad, bada-bing, bad actor, Badajoz, Badakhshan, Badalona

Other definitions for bad (2 of 2)

verb Archaic.

a simple past tense of bid1.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

WHEN TO USE

What are other ways to say bad?

The adjective bad is a broad term that can describe things that are not good in any manner, or more pointedly, things or people that have a wicked or evil character. How is bad different from evil, wicked, and ill? Find out on Thesaurus.com.

Words related to bad

atrocious, awful, cheap, crummy, dreadful, lousy, poor, rough, sad, unacceptable, dangerous, unhealthy, evil, wrong, rotten, sour, disastrous, distressing, harsh, intense

How to use bad in a sentence

  • Finally, even in the worst-case scenario, in which a child does contract Covid-19, the outcomes of the disease are less severe in younger people than among older adults.

  • To be sure, people basically gambling with money they would be devastated to lose is bad.

  • In doing so, the app aims to bring more transparency to how social networks moderate hate speech by showing those who report it what is and isn’t deemed bad enough to be removed.

  • What investors do appear to have is conviction that earnings for the second quarter likely won’t be as bad as expected.

  • Sometimes, much as we hate to admit it, a bad race is simply a bad race.

  • We need to recover and grow the idea that the proper answer to bad speech is more and better speech.

  • I gotta say—I think this past year was pretty bad for music.

  • Ass-kicking, bad guy-killing Carter is just a future spinster.

  • They all immediately dashed out to their car to catch the bad guys.

  • Terrorism is bad news anywhere, but especially rough on Odessa, where the city motto seems to be “make love, not war.”

  • The «bad form» of telling a lie to the head-master is a later illustration of the same thing.

  • The men arrived in very bad condition, and many of them blinded with the salt water which had dashed into their eyes.

  • Their sin began on Holy Thursday, with so little secrecy and so bad an example, that the affair was beginning to leak out.

  • Conditions in the new country had gone from bad to worse, and if the season should experience another drought, the worst was come.

  • If any one has lost his temper, as well as his money, he takes good care not to show it; to do so here would be indeed bad form.

British Dictionary definitions for bad (1 of 2)

adjective worse or worst

not good; of poor quality; inadequate; inferiorbad workmanship; bad soil; bad light for reading

(often foll by at) lacking skill or talent; incompetenta bad painter; bad at sports

(often foll by for) harmfulbad air; smoking is bad for you

immoral; evila bad life

naughty; mischievous; disobedienta bad child

rotten; decayed; spoileda bad egg

severe; intensea bad headache

incorrect; wrong; faultybad pronunciation

ill or in pain (esp in the phrase feel bad)

regretful, sorry, or upset (esp in the phrase feel bad about)

unfavourable; distressingbad news; a bad business

offensive; unpleasant; disagreeablebad language; bad temper

not valid or sound; voida bad cheque

not recoverablea bad debt

badder or baddest slang good; excellent

go from bad to worse to deteriorate even more

go bad to putrefy; spoil

in a bad way informal

  1. seriously ill, through sickness or injury
  2. in trouble of any kind

make the best of a bad job to manage as well as possible in unfavourable circumstances

not bad or not so bad informal passable; fair; fairly good

not half bad informal very good

too bad informal (often used dismissively) regrettable

noun

unfortunate or unpleasant events collectively (often in the phrase take the bad with the good)

an immoral or degenerate state (often in the phrase go to the bad)

the debit side of an account£200 to the bad

my bad US and Canadian informal my fault or mistake

adverb

not standard badlyto want something bad

Derived forms of bad

baddish, adjectivebadness, noun

Word Origin for bad

C13: probably from bæd-, as the first element of Old English bǣddel hermaphrodite, bǣdling sodomite

British Dictionary definitions for bad (2 of 2)

Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with bad

In addition to the idioms beginning with bad

  • bad blood
  • bad egg
  • bad hair day
  • bad luck
  • badly off
  • bad mouth
  • bad name
  • bad news
  • bad off
  • bad sort, a
  • bad taste
  • bad time
  • bad trip

also see:

  • come to an end (bad end)
  • feel bad
  • from bad to worse
  • get off on the wrong foot (to a bad start)
  • give a bad name
  • give bad marks to
  • go bad
  • in a bad mood
  • in a bad way
  • in bad faith
  • in bad with someone
  • in someone’s bad graces
  • leave a bad taste in one’s mouth
  • make the best of (a bad bargain)
  • not a bad sort
  • not bad
  • poor (bad) taste
  • run of (bad) luck
  • too bad
  • turn up (like a bad penny)
  • with bad grace

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Источник

Other forms: worse; worst; bads

When something is not good, it’s bad. A bad dog goes to the bathroom in the house, and bad milk has gone sour.

Bad has slightly different meanings depending on what it’s describing, but the overall idea is the same: not good. If you get a bad connection on the telephone, there’s something wrong with the line or phone. If someone gives you a bad check, there’s no money to back up the check. If you do a bad job on a test, you got a C if you’re lucky. In movies, a villain is a bad guy. Also, when someone does something wrong, they might say «My bad!»

Definitions of bad

  1. adjective

    having undesirable or negative qualities

    “a
    bad report card”

    “his sloppy appearance made a
    bad impression”

    “a
    bad little boy”

    “clothes in
    bad shape”

    “a
    bad cut”

    “bad luck”

    “the news was very
    bad”

    “the reviews were
    bad”

    “the pay is
    bad”

    “it was a
    bad light for reading”

    “the movie was a
    bad choice”

    Synonyms:

    worst

    (superlative of `bad’) most wanting in quality or value or condition

    worse

    (comparative of `bad’) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability

    unfavorable, unfavourable

    not encouraging or approving or pleasing

    abominable, abysmal, atrocious, awful, dreadful, painful, terrible, unspeakable, vile

    exceptionally bad or displeasing

    corked, corky

    (of wine) tainted in flavor by a cork containing excess tannin

    deplorable, distressing, lamentable, pitiful, sad, sorry

    bad; unfortunate

    fearful, frightful

    extremely distressing

    hard, tough

    unfortunate or hard to bear

    hopeless

    (informal to emphasize how bad it is) beyond hope of management or reform

    horrid

    exceedingly bad

    icky, lousy, rotten, stinking, stinky

    very bad

    ill

    distressing

    incompetent, unskilled

    not doing a good job

    mediocre

    poor to middling in quality

    naughty

    badly behaved

    negative

    having the quality of something harmful or unpleasant

    poor

    unsatisfactory

    pretty

    (used ironically) unexpectedly bad

    no-good, rubber

    returned for lack of funds

    severe

    very bad in degree or extent

    swingeing

    severe; punishingly bad

    uncool

    (spoken slang) unfashionable and boring

    unfavorable, unfavourable

    not favorable

    unsuitable

    not conducive to good moral development

    evil

    morally bad or wrong

    disobedient

    not obeying or complying with commands of those in authority

    see moresee less

    Antonyms:

    good

    having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

    best

    (superlative of `good’) having the most positive qualities

    better

    (comparative of `good’) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

    favorable, favourable

    encouraging or approving or pleasing

    bang-up, bully, corking, cracking, dandy, great, groovy, keen, neat, nifty, not bad, peachy, slap-up, smashing, swell

    very good

    good enough

    adequately good for the circumstances

    goodish

    moderately good of its kind

    hot

    very good; often used in the negative

    redeeming

    compensating for some fault or defect

    acceptable, satisfactory

    meeting requirements

    solid

    characterized by good substantial quality

    superb

    surpassingly good

    well behaved, well-behaved

    (usually of children) someone who behaves in a manner that the speaker believes is correct

    good

    morally admirable

    obedient

    dutifully complying with the commands or instructions of those in authority

    respectable

    characterized by socially or conventionally acceptable morals

    show more antonyms…

  2. adjective

    capable of harming

    “bad air”

    “smoking is
    bad for you”

    Synonyms:

    harmful

    causing or capable of causing harm

  3. adjective

    characterized by wickedness or immorality

    “led a very
    bad life”

    Synonyms:

    evil

    morally bad or wrong

  4. adjective

    below average in quality or performance

    “a
    bad chess player”

    “a
    bad recital”

    Synonyms:

    inferior

    of low or inferior quality

  5. adjective

    not working properly

    “a
    bad telephone connection”

    synonyms:

    defective

    malfunctioning, nonfunctional

    not performing or able to perform its regular function

  6. “so-called
    bad grammar”

    Synonyms:

    nonstandard

    not conforming to the language usage of a prestige group within a community

  7. noun

    that which is below standard or expectations as of ethics or decency

    “take the
    bad with the good”

    synonyms:

    badness

  8. “a
    bad headache”

    “had a big (or
    bad) shock”

    “a
    bad earthquake”

    “a
    bad storm”

    synonyms:

    big

    intense

    possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree

  9. adverb

    very much; strongly

    “he wants a bicycle so
    bad he can taste it”

    synonyms:

    badly

  10. adverb

    with great intensity (`bad’ is a nonstandard variant for `badly’)

    “it hurts
    bad”

    “we need water
    bad”

    synonyms:

    badly

  11. adjective

    physically unsound or diseased

    “has a
    bad back”

    “a
    bad heart”

    “bad teeth”

    synonyms:

    unfit, unsound

    unhealthy

    not in or exhibiting good health in body or mind

  12. adjective

    feeling physical discomfort or pain (`tough’ is occasionally used colloquially for `bad’)

    “my throat feels
    bad”

    “she felt
    bad all over”

    synonyms:

    tough

    uncomfortable

    providing or experiencing physical discomfort

  13. adjective

    feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone

    “he felt
    bad about breaking the vase”

    synonyms:

    regretful, sorry

    penitent, repentant

    feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds

  14. adjective

    (of foodstuffs) not in an edible or usable condition

    “bad meat”

    synonyms:

    spoiled, spoilt

    stale

    lacking freshness, palatability, or showing deterioration from age

  15. adjective

    not financially safe or secure

    “a
    bad investment”

    synonyms:

    high-risk, risky, speculative

    unsound

    not sound financially

  16. adjective

    not capable of being collected

    “a
    bad (or uncollectible) debt”

    synonyms:

    uncollectible

    invalid

    having no cogency or legal force

  17. adjective

    reproduced fraudulently

    “like a
    bad penny…”

    synonyms:

    forged

    counterfeit, imitative

    not genuine; imitating something superior

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘bad’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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