The origin of the word bad

Translingual[edit]

Symbol[edit]

bad

1. (international standards) ISO 639-2 & ISO 639-5 language code for Banda languages.

English[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /bæd/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /bæːd/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /bɛd/
• (Wales) IPA^(key): /baːd/
• (æ-tensing) IPA^(key): /bɛəd/
• Rhymes: -æd

Etymology 1[edit]

From Middle English bad, badde (“wicked, evil, depraved”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps a shortening of Old English bæddel (“hermaphrodite”) (for loss of -el compare Middle English muche from Old English myċel, and Middle English wenche from Old English wenċel), or at least related to it and/or to bǣ̆dan (“to defile”), compare Old High German pad (“hermaphrodite”). Alternatively, perhaps a loan from Old Norse into Middle English, compare Norwegian bad (“effort, trouble, fear”, neuter noun), East Danish bad (“damage, destruction, fight”, neuter noun), from the Proto-Germanic noun *badą, whence also Proto-Germanic *badōn (“to frighten”), Old Saxon undarbadōn (“to frighten”), Norwegian Nynorsk bada (“to weigh down, press”)^[1].

Adjective[edit]

bad (comparative worse or (nonstandard) badder or (nonstandard) more bad, superlative worst or (nonstandard) baddest or (nonstandard) most bad)

1. Unfavorable; negative; not good.

   Synonyms: unfavorable, negative; see also Thesaurus:bad

   • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter X, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

     He looked round the poor room, at the distempered walls, and the bad engravings in meretricious frames, the crinkly paper and wax flowers on the chiffonier; and he thought of a room like Father Bryan’s, with panelling, with cut glass, with tulips in silver pots, such a room as he had hoped to have for his own.

   Hiring you was very bad for this company.

   The weather looks pretty bad right now.

   He is in a bad mood.

   You have very bad grades.

2. Not suitable or fitting.

   Synonyms: inappropriate, unfit; see also Thesaurus:unsuitable

   Do you think it is a bad idea to confront him directly?

3. Not appropriate, of manners etc.

   • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 7, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients:

     “ […] if you call my duds a ‘livery’ again there’ll be trouble. It’s bad enough to go around togged out like a life saver on a drill day, but I can stand that ’cause I’m paid for it. What I won’t stand is to have them togs called a livery. […] ”

   It is bad manners to talk with your mouth full.

4. Unhealthy; liable to cause health problems.

   Synonyms: unhealthful, unwholesome; see also Thesaurus:harmful

   Lard is bad for you. Smoking is bad for you, too. Grapes are bad for dogs but not for humans.

5. (chiefly applied to a person’s state of health) Sickly, unhealthy, unwell.

   Synonyms: ill, poorly, sickly; see also Thesaurus:ill

   Joe’s in a bad way; he can’t even get out of bed.

   I went to the hospital to see how my grandfather was doing. Unfortunately, he’s in a bad state.

   I’ve had a bad back since the accident.

6. (often childish) Not behaving; behaving badly; misbehaving; mischievous or disobedient.

   • 2014 August 28, Tom Armstrong, Marvin (comic):

     I can tell that new kid at our daycare is trouble […] He’s picking out his favorite corner to stand in when he’s bad.

   Stop being bad, or you will get a spanking!

7. Tricky; stressful; unpleasant.

   Synonyms: foul, loathsome; see also Thesaurus:unpleasant

   Divorce is usually a bad experience for everybody involved.

8. (sometimes childish) Evil; wicked.

   Synonyms: vile, vicious; see also Thesaurus:evil

   Be careful. There are bad people in the world.

9. Faulty; not functional.

   Synonyms: inoperative; see also Thesaurus:out of order

   I had a bad headlight.

10. (of food) Spoiled, rotten, overripe.

    Synonyms: rotten; see also Thesaurus:rotten

    These apples have gone bad.

11. (of breath) Malodorous; foul.

    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:malodorous

12. False; counterfeit; illegitimate.

    Synonyms: fake, spurious; see also Thesaurus:fake

    They were caught trying to pass bad coinage.

13. Unskilled; of limited ability; not good.

    Synonyms: bungling, inept; see also Thesaurus:unskilled

    I’m pretty bad at speaking French.

    He’s a bad gardener; everything he tries to grow ends up dying.

14. Of poor physical appearance.

    Synonyms: repulsive, unsightly; see also Thesaurus:ugly

    I look really bad whenever I get less than seven hours of sleep.

    I don’t look bad in this dress, do I?

15. (informal) Bold and daring.

    Synonyms: (slang) badass; see also Thesaurus:brave

17. (slang) Good, superlative, excellent, cool.

    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:good

    Man, that new car you bought is bad!

    You is bad, man!

    • 1986, Darryl McDaniels and Joseph Simmons (lyrics and music), “Peter Piper”, in Raising Hell, performed by Run-DMC:

      He’s the big bad wolf in your neighborhood / not bad meaning bad, but bad meaning good

    • 1994, N2Deep (lyrics), “Best Ever”, in 24-7-365, track 7:

      Man, that bitch was bad—it was the best piece of pussy that I ever had.

18. (of a need, want, or pain) Severe, urgent.

    Synonyms: dire; see also Thesaurus:urgent

    He is in bad need of a haircut.
19. (US, slang) Overly promiscuous, licentious.

    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:promiscuous

    • 2005, Jordan Houston, Darnell Carlton, Paul Beauregard, Premro Smith, Marlon Goodwin, David Brown, and Willie Hutchinson (lyrics), “Stay Fly”, in Most Known Unknown‎^[1], Sony BMG, performed by Three 6 Mafia (featuring Young Buck, 8 Ball, and MJG):

      You leave your girl around me; if she’s bad she’s gonna get stuck.

20. (originally African-American Vernacular, slang, of a woman) Very attractive; hot, sexy.

    Hopefully I can pull some bad bitches tonight.

21. (slang, of a draft/check) Not covered by funds on account.

    Synonyms: rubber, hot

Synonyms[edit]

Antonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

See also[edit]

Adverb[edit]

bad (comparative worse, superlative worst)

1. (now colloquial) Badly.

   I didn’t do too bad in the last exam.

   • 1969, Lennon–McCartney (lyrics and music), “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”, in Abbey Road, performed by The Beatles:

     I want you / I want you so bad, it’s driving me mad

Translations[edit]

Noun[edit]

bad (plural bads)

1. Something that is bad; a harm or evil.
   • 2001, Ann Belford Ulanov, Finding Space: Winnicott, God, and Psychic Reality (page 59)

     We idealize God as supergoodness in order to protect against a bad that we cannot unite with ourselves.

2. (slang, with possessive determiner) Error; mistake.

   • 1993, Mitch Albom, Fab five: basketball, trash talk, the American dream‎^[2]:

     «My bad, My bad!” Juwan yelled, scowling

   • 2003, Zane, Skyscraper, page 7:

     “Chico, you’re late again.” I turned around and stared him in his beady eyes. “I missed my bus. My bad, Donald.” “Your bad? Your bad? What kind of English is that?

   • 2008, Camika Spencer, Cubicles, page 68:

     Teresa broke out in laughter. “Dang, I sound like I’m talking to my man.” “I tried your cell phone, but you didn’t answer.” “I left it at home, Friday. My bad.” “Yeah, your bad.” I laughed. “Really, I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.

3. (countable, uncountable, economics) An item (or kind of item) of merchandise with negative value; an unwanted good.

   • 2011, Thompson, Henry, International Economics: Global Markets and Competition, 3rd edition, World Scientific, page 97:

     Imports are an economic good but exports an economic bad. Exports must be produced but are enjoyed by foreign consumers.

   • 2011, William J. Boyes, Michael Melvin, Economics, 9th edition, Cengage Learning, page 4:

     An economic bad is anything that you would pay to get rid of. It is not so hard to think of examples of bads: pollution, garbage, and disease fit the description.

Translations[edit]

Interjection[edit]

bad

1. Used to scold a misbehaving child or pet.

Translations[edit]

References[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

From Middle English bad, from Old English bæd, first and third-person singular indicative past tense of biddan (“to ask”).

Verb[edit]

bad

1. (archaic) alternative past of bid. See bade.

Etymology 3[edit]

Unknown

Verb[edit]

bad (third-person singular simple present bads, present participle badding, simple past and past participle badded)

1. (Britain, dialect, transitive) To shell (a walnut).
   • 1876, The Gloucester Journal, Oct. 7, 1876, reported in A. Gregory, “Gloucestershire Dialect,” Notes and Queries, 5th ser., 6, 148 (1876‑10‑28): 346

     A curious specimen of Gloucestershire dialect came out in an assault case heard by the Gloucester court magistrates on Saturday. One of the witnesses, speaking of what a girl was doing at the time the assault took place, said she was ‘badding’ walnuts in a pigstye. The word is peculiarly provincial: to ‘bad’ walnuts is to strip away the husk. The walnut, too, is often called a ‘bannut,’ and hence the old Gloucestershire phrase, ‘Come an’ bad the bannuts.’

Anagrams[edit]

• ABD, ADB, Abd., BDA, D.B.A., DAB, DBA, abd., d/b/a, dab, dba

Afar[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-Cushitic. Cognates include Somali bád and Saho bad.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ˈbʌd/
• Hyphenation: bad

Noun[edit]

bád m (plural badoodá f)

1. lake, sea, ocean

Declension[edit]

Declension of bád
absolutive	bád
predicative	báda
subjective	bád
genitive	baddí
Postpositioned forms l-case bádal k-case bádak t-case bádat h-case bádah

Derived terms[edit]

References[edit]

• E. M. Parker; R. J. Hayward (1985), “bad”, in An Afar-English-French dictionary (with Grammatical Notes in English), University of London, →ISBN
• Mohamed Hassan Kamil (2004) Parlons Afar: Langue et Culture, L’Hammartan, →ISBN, page 35

Afrikaans[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): [bɑt]

Noun[edit]

bad (plural baddens, diminutive badjie)

1. bath

[edit]

• baaie

References[edit]

• 2007. The UCLA Phonetics Lab Archive. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Department of Linguistics.

Danish[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Old Norse bað, Proto-Germanic *baþą (“bath”), cognate with English bath and German Bad.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): [ˈb̥að]
• Rhymes: -ad

Noun[edit]

bad n (singular definite badet, plural indefinite bade)

1. bath, shower, swim
2. bathroom

Inflection[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): [ˈb̥æˀð], [ˈb̥æðˀ]

Verb[edit]

bad

1. past tense of bede

Etymology 3[edit]

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): [ˈb̥æˀð], [ˈb̥æðˀ]

Verb[edit]

bad

1. imperative of bade

Dutch[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /bɑt/
• Hyphenation: bad
• Rhymes: -ɑt
• Homophone: Bath

Etymology 1[edit]

From Middle Dutch bat, from Old Dutch *bath, from Proto-Germanic *baþą.

Noun[edit]

bad n (plural baden, diminutive badje n)

1. bath (object)
2. the act or process of bathing
3. immersion

Derived terms[edit]

[edit]

• baden

Descendants[edit]

• Afrikaans: bad
• Negerhollands: bad, bat
• →? Sranan Tongo: bat

Etymology 2[edit]

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb[edit]

bad

1. singular past indicative of bidden

Gothic[edit]

Romanization[edit]

bad

1. Romanization of 𐌱𐌰𐌳

Indonesian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Persian باد‎ (bâd, “wind”).

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ˈbat̚/

Noun[edit]

bad (first-person possessive badku, second-person possessive badmu, third-person possessive badnya)

1. (archaic) wind

   Synonym: angin

[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• “bad” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Language Development and Fostering Agency — Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic Indonesia, 2016.

Lushootseed[edit]

Noun[edit]

bad

1. father

Maltese[edit]

Root
b-j-d
17 terms

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /baːt/

Verb[edit]

bad (imperfect jbid, past participle mibjud, verbal noun bidien)

1. Alternative form of bied

Conjugation[edit]

Conjugation of bad
	singular		plural
	1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
perfect	m	b{{{4}}}dt	b{{{4}}}dt	bad	b{{{4}}}dna	b{{{4}}}dtu	badu
f	badet
imperfect	m	nbid	tbid	jbid	nbidu	tbidu	jbidu
f	tbid
imperative			bid			bidu

Norwegian Bokmål[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Old Norse bað, from Proto-Germanic *baþą (“bath”).

Noun[edit]

bad n (definite singular badet, indefinite plural bad, definite plural bada or badene)

1. a bath

   et varmt bad — a hot bath

2. a bathroom (see also baderom)

Derived terms[edit]

• blodbad
• boblebad

[edit]

• bade

Etymology 2[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

• (of be) ba

Verb[edit]

bad

1. imperative of bade
2. simple past of be
3. simple past of bede

References[edit]

• “bad” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Old Norse bað.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /bɑːd/

Noun[edit]

bad n (definite singular badet, indefinite plural bad, definite plural bada)

1. a bath

   eit varmt bad — a hot bath

2. a bathroom

Synonyms[edit]

• (bathroom): baderom

Derived terms[edit]

• blodbad
• boblebad

Etymology 2[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /bɑː/

Verb[edit]

bad

1. past of be

References[edit]

• “bad” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old English[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /bɑːd/

Etymology 1[edit]

From Proto-West Germanic *baidu, from Proto-Germanic *baidō.

Noun[edit]

bād f

1. waiting; expectation
2. something distrained; pledge, stake

Declension[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

• *ābād
• nīedbād

[edit]

• ābīdan
• bīdan

Descendants[edit]

• Middle English: bade, bode, baide
  • English: bode
  • Scots: bade, baid

Etymology 2[edit]

Verb[edit]

bād

1. first/third-person singular preterite of bīdan

Old Irish[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

• bed

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /bað/

Verb[edit]

bad

1. inflection of is:
   1. third-person singular past subjunctive
   2. third-person singular/second-person plural imperative

Mutation[edit]

Old Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
bad	bad pronounced with /v(ʲ)-/	mbad
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Palauan[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Pre-Palauan *baðu, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *batu, from Proto-Austronesian *batu. Cognate with Kavalan btu,Tagalog bato, Malay batu, Maori whatu.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /bað/

Noun[edit]

bad

1. stone; rock

Polish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from German Bad, from Middle High German, from Old High German bad, from Proto-West Germanic *baþ, from Proto-Germanic *baþą. English bath.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /bat/
• Rhymes: -at
• Syllabification: bad
• Homophone: bat

Noun[edit]

bad m inan

1. (dated) health resort

   Synonym: kurort

Declension[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• bad in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• bad in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Scottish Gaelic[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Probably borrowed from Pictish [Term?]. Compare Breton bod (“cluster, bunch of grapes, thicket”).

Noun[edit]

bad m (genitive singular baid, plural badan)

1. place, spot
2. tuft, bunch
3. flock, group
4. thicket, clump (of trees)

Synonyms[edit]

• (place): spot

Derived terms[edit]

• anns a’ bhad
• reul-bhad

Somali[edit]

Noun[edit]

bad ?

1. sea

Sumerian[edit]

Romanization[edit]

bad

1. Romanization of 𒁁 (bad)

Swedish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Swedish badh, from Old Norse bað, from Proto-Germanic *baþą, from the zero-grade of Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₁-.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /bɑːd/
• Rhymes: -ɑːd

Noun[edit]

bad n

1. a bath, the act of bathing
2. a bath, a place for bathing (badplats, badhus)

Declension[edit]

Declension of bad
	Singular	Plural
Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	bad	badet	bad	baden
Genitive	bads	badets	bads	badens

[edit]

• bada
• badkar
• badrum
• havsbad
• kallbad
• karbad
• varmbad
• vinterbad
• ångbad

Verb[edit]

bad

1. past tense of be.
2. past tense of bedja.

References[edit]

• bad in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)

Volapük[edit]

Noun[edit]

bad (nominative plural bads)

1. evil, badness

Declension[edit]

See also[edit]

• badik
• badiko

Welsh[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /baːd/
• Rhymes: -aːd

Etymology 1[edit]

From Old English bāt.

Noun[edit]

bad m (plural badau)

1. boat

   Synonyms: cwch, llong

Derived terms[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

Noun[edit]

bad f (uncountable)

1. plague, pestilence

   Synonyms: pla, haint

Derived terms[edit]

• y fad fawr (“the Great Plague”)

Mutation[edit]

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
bad	fad	mad	unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

• Defenition of the word bad

  • Not good; unfavorable; negative.
  • A mistake, an oversight, a slight; usually apologetic, referring to one’s own failures.
  • Having changed its colour, smell or composition (partially or completely), due to being attacked and decomposed by microorganisms (relating to organic matter); damaged by decay.
  • With great intensity.
  • Characterized by wickedness or immorality.
  • 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»
  • capable of harming; «bad habits»; «bad air»; «smoking is bad for you»
  • (linguistics; informal) «so-called bad grammar»
  • below average in quality or performance; «a bad chess player»; «a bad recital»
  • that which is below standard or expectations as of ethics or decency: «take the bad with the good»
  • very intense; «a bad headache»; «in a big rage»; «had a big (or bad) shock»; «a bad earthquake»; «a bad storm»
  • not working properly; «a bad telephone connection»; «a defective appliance»
  • reproduced fraudulently; «like a bad penny…»; «a forged twenty dollar bill»
  • characterized by wickedness or immorality; «led a very bad life»
  • not financially safe or secure; «a bad investment»; «high risk investments»; «anything that promises to pay too much can’t help being risky»; «speculative business enterprises»
  • keenly sorry or regretful; «felt bad about letting the team down»; «was sorry that she had treated him so badly»; «felt bad about breaking the vase»
  • (of foodstuffs) not in an edible or usable condition; «bad meat»; «a refrigerator full of spoilt food»
  • feeling physical discomfort or pain; «my throat feels bad»; «she felt bad all over»; (‘tough’ is occasionally used colloquially for `bad’ as in «he was feeling tough after a restless night»)
  • not capable of being collected; «a bad (or uncollectible) debt»
  • physically unsound or diseased; «has a bad back»; «a bad heart»; «bad teeth»; «an unsound limb»; «unsound teeth»
  • very much; strongly; «I wanted it badly enough to work hard for it»; «the cables had sagged badly»; «they were badly in need of help»; «he wants a bicycle so bad he can taste it»
  • with great intensity; «the injury hurt badly»; «the buildings were badly shaken»; (`bad’ is a nonstandard variant for `badly’ as in «it hurts bad» or «we need water bad»)
  • that which is below standard or expectations as of ethics or decency; «take the bad with the good»
  • feeling physical discomfort or pain (`tough» is occasionally used colloquially for `bad»); «my throat feels bad»; «she felt bad all over»; «he was feeling tough after a restless night»
  • 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
  • not financially safe or secure; «a bad investment»; «high risk investments»; «anything that promises to pay too much can»t help being risky»; «speculative business enterprises»
  • nonstandard; «so-called bad grammar»
  • with great intensity (`bad» is a nonstandard variant for `badly»); «the injury hurt badly»; «the buildings were badly shaken»; «it hurts bad»; «we need water bad»
  • that which is below standard or expectations as of ethics or decency
  • feeling physical discomfort or pain (`tough’ is occasionally used colloquially for `bad’)
  • (of foodstuffs) not in an edible or usable condition
  • not working properly
  • reproduced fraudulently
  • having undesirable or negative qualities
  • characterized by wickedness or immorality
  • feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
  • capable of harming
  • physically unsound or diseased
  • very intense
  • not financially safe or secure
  • nonstandard
  • below average in quality or performance
  • not capable of being collected
  • very much; strongly
  • with great intensity (`bad’ is a nonstandard variant for `badly’)

Synonyms for the word bad

• • abysmal
  • acute
  • adverse
  • apologetic
  • appalling
  • ashamed
  • austere
  • awful
  • badly
  • badly behaved
  • badness
  • base
  • big
  • contrite
  • corrupt
  • critical
  • cruel
  • damaging
  • dangerous
  • debauched
  • decayed
  • decaying
  • decomposing
  • defective
  • deficient
  • depraved
  • difficult
  • dire
  • disobedient
  • distressing
  • dreadful
  • evil
  • faulty
  • flawed
  • forged
  • ghastly
  • grave
  • guilty
  • harmful
  • harsh
  • high-risk
  • horrific
  • immoral
  • imperfect
  • inferior
  • injurious
  • insecure
  • life-threatening
  • merciless
  • mischievous
  • moldy
  • naughty
  • negative
  • penitent
  • poor
  • prejudicial
  • putrid
  • rancid
  • regretful
  • remorseful
  • repentant
  • risky
  • rotten
  • rude
  • ruinous
  • ruthless
  • sad
  • serious
  • severe
  • shameless
  • shocking
  • shoddy
  • sorry
  • sour
  • speculative
  • spoiled
  • spoilt
  • stale
  • substandard
  • terrible
  • testing
  • tough
  • troubled
  • troublesome
  • uncollectible
  • unfavorable
  • unfit
  • unhappy
  • unhealthy
  • unmanageable
  • unpleasant
  • unruly
  • unscrupulous
  • unsound
  • vicious
  • vile
  • wayward
  • wicked
  • willful

Similar words in the bad

• • abominable
  • atrocious
  • awful
  • bad
  • badder
  • baddest
  • bade
  • baden
  • baden’s
  • badger
  • badger’s
  • badgered
  • badgering
  • badgers
  • badges
  • badinage
  • badinage’s
  • badlands
  • badlands’s
  • badly
  • badminton
  • badminton’s
  • badmouth
  • badmouthed
  • badmouthing
  • badmouths
  • badness
  • badness’s
  • corked
  • corky
  • counterfeit
  • crappy
  • deplorable
  • disobedient
  • distressing
  • dreadful
  • evil
  • fearful
  • fine
  • frightful
  • hard
  • harmful
  • hopeless
  • horrid
  • icky
  • ill
  • imitative
  • incompetent
  • inferior
  • intense
  • invalid
  • lamentable
  • lousy
  • malfunctioning
  • mediocre
  • mischievous
  • naughty
  • negative
  • no-good
  • nonfunctional
  • nonstandard
  • painful
  • pitiful
  • poor
  • pretty
  • rotten
  • rubber
  • sad
  • severe
  • shitty
  • sorry
  • stale
  • stinking
  • stinky
  • swingeing
  • terrible
  • tough
  • uncomfortable
  • uncool
  • unfavorable
  • unfavourable
  • unhappy
  • unhealthy
  • unsatisfactory
  • unskilled
  • unsound
  • unspeakable
  • unsuitable
  • wicked
  • worse
  • worst

Hyponyms for the word bad

• • evil
  • inadvisability
  • liability
  • undesirability
  • unsoundness
  • unworthiness
  • worse

Hypernyms for the word bad

• • quality

Antonyms for the word bad

• • fine
  • good
  • goodness

Proverbs and sayings for the word bad

• • a bad beginning makes a bad ending
  • a bad compromise is better than a good lawsuit
  • a bad workman always blames his tools
  • a bad workman quarrels with his tools
  • many a good father has but a bad son

Idioms for the word bad

• • bad hair day
  • go bad
  • ein Bad nehmen
  • ein Sonnenbad nehmen

See other words

• • What is carrot
  • The definition of push
  • The interpretation of the word pull
  • What is meant by he
  • The lexical meaning knob
  • The dictionary meaning of the word round
  • The grammatical meaning of the word good
  • Meaning of the word wacko
  • Literal and figurative meaning of the word solely
  • The origin of the word exhaust
  • Synonym for the word eye
  • Antonyms for the word forget
  • Homonyms for the word frank
  • Hyponyms for the word gather
  • Holonyms for the word girl
  • Hypernyms for the word glory
  • Proverbs and sayings for the word grip
  • Translation of the word in other languages native

According to Chapman & Kipfer, Dictionary of American Slang, Third Edition (1995), the interjection «my bad» arose in the 1990s and its source is «teenagers»:

my bad interj 1990s teenagers: My bad: My fault or my mistake. A term of apology. —Daily Record

I first heard «my bad» used (in the San Francisco Bay Area of California) around 1994 from a college-age person in the context of a turnover—an errant pass, I believe—committed during a pickup game of basketball.

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Inspired by tchrist’s excellent addition to his answer, I checked the Elephind newspaper database to discover its earliest instance of «my bad.» The earliest appears to be from the «Unclassifieds» section of the [Washington, D.C.] American [University] Eagle (February 8, 1988):

And «Dove Bars At Night Horowitz»: Are you related to…. No? Oh, well, my bad. What do you mean, «on my own?!» That’s not nice. As my mother always said, «Remember what Thumper’s mother said?» My mother wasn’t very original. She wasn’t as bad as my dad though, he quotes Bill Cosby. -Jesus

This instance corroborates tchrist’s citations indicating that «my bad» was in use in parts of the United States in the 1980s. It also provides explicit evidence that the expression had entered college slang (at one Washington, D.C. university, anyway) by early 1988.

In addition, it may be the first identified instance of «my bad» that has no connection to sports. The second and third instances cited by tchrist (from 1986 and 1987) are clearly sports related, and the first instance (from 1985) probably is: Although the wording («Oops, my bad, I forgot for a moment what the Commodore did to Georgia. Silly me.») is rather opaque, I’m pretty sure that it refers to college football, given (1) the time of year (November 14), and (2) the fact that Gainesville is the home of the University of Florida, which (3) is a traditional rival of the University of Georgia, both of which (4) play in the NCAA’s Southeast Conference, as does Vanderbilt University, whose team is called the Commodores, and which (5) pulled off a shocking 13–13 tie against the heavily favored University of Georgia team on October 19, 1985. Perhaps the Florida writer alluded to that earlier game in response to gloating from one or more Georgia fans, because on November 9, Georgia had defeated Florida (which had been ranked number one in the nation prior to the game), 24–3.