quality of having positive subjective value; opposite of badness
«Good» redirects here. For a «good» meaning an item or product in economics, see Good (economics).
The words «good» and «bad» are a basic way of talking about value or ethics.[1] They are often used in different ways to talk about things, people, ideas, or actions as being either good or bad. Many questions about the concepts of «good» and «bad» are studied by philosophers.[1] There are many different beliefs about what is good or bad, or about what the two words really mean. These differences can often be seen in different cultures and religions.
Good for something and good in itselfEdit
In philosophy, goodness is generally understood in two main kinds: either a thing is good for something or it is good in itself.[1][2] For example, eating properly may be good for staying healthy (provable) but eating properly may not be a good in itself (unprovable). This also applies to things that are called bad. The belief that there are such things as good in itself and bad in itself has been a main part of Western philosophy since Plato.[2][3] However, some philosophers have rejected this belief.[2]
A relative good is something that is good because people say it is good. An absolute good is something that is good because of something in itself. It is good even if there is no one around to see it. For example, an economist may say that the Mona Lisa is a very valuable economic good because it can be sold for a lot of money. A philosopher may say that the painting is good because of how it is painted. The economist sees relative good, because people may later not want to pay for it. The philosopher sees absolute good, because it will always be painted well.[source?]
Good and evilEdit
Good and evil are opposites.
And people have opinions on what things are good and what things are evil. For example, a street artist might think it is good to draw a graffiti on a public building wall, but the owner of this building might consider it evil.
ReferencesEdit
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Schroeder, Mark (5 February 2008). «Value Theory». In Zalta, Edward N. (ed.). The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2016 ed.).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Zimmerman, Michael J.; Bradley, Ben (22 October 2002). «Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Value». In Zalta, Edward N. (ed.). The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2019 ed.).
- ↑ Dienstag, Joshua F. (2001). «Nietzsche’s Dionysian Pessimism». American Political Science Review. 95 (4): 923–937. JSTOR 3117722.
The words ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are simple ways of expressing how we feel about something. However, they’re also overused, which means they can lack impact. So to make your writing more powerful and descriptive, you might need a few of the synonyms for ‘good’ and ‘bad’ detailed below.
Synonyms for ‘Good’
‘Good’ is a word with many uses, including as a noun and an adjective. We’ll focus on the adjectival uses here, where its basic meaning is ‘desirable’ or ‘of a high standard’. However, even then ‘good’ has several uses, so the best alternative will depend on what you are trying to say. Some common senses of ‘good’ and suitable synonyms can be found below, for example:
|
Definition |
Example |
Synonyms |
|
Acceptable in quality or degree |
We have a good sense of how to proceed. |
Adequate, fair, satisfactory, sufficient |
|
High quality or desirable |
Ghostbusters is a very good film. | Brilliant, excellent, great, outstanding, superb |
|
Useful or beneficial |
Regular exercise is good for your health. | Advantageous, helpful, positive, valuable |
|
Morally good or agreeable |
A good person helps those in need. | Admirable, decent, respectable, virtuous |
|
Skilled or capable |
He is a very good singer. | Accomplished, proficient, skilful, talented |
|
Pleasant or pleasing |
That flower smells good. | Delightful, enjoyable, nice, pleasurable, satisfying |
As the table above shows, the way to pick a ‘good’ (i.e. acceptable) synonym is to know what you are trying to say. This will often lead you to a more descriptive alternative. It is therefore important to check the definition of synonyms for ‘good’ to make sure they fit the situations.
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Synonyms for ‘Bad’
We say something is ‘bad’ to express a negative opinion. It is thus the opposite of good in all of its senses. And as with ‘good’, we have several options for how to use this word, including:
|
Definition |
Example |
Synonyms |
|
Low quality or faulty |
A bad diet can cause health issues. | Deficient, inadequate, mediocre, poor |
|
Of a very low quality |
Bathing in a tub of scorpions was a bad idea. | Awful, dreadful, terrible, unacceptable |
|
Harmful or negative |
Smoking is bad for you. | Damaging, detrimental, injurious, unhealthy |
|
Immoral or disagreeable |
Bad behaviour will be punished. | Evil, reprehensible, unpleasant, wrong |
|
Unpleasant or unwelcome |
We saw the bad news on television. | Abhorrent, disagreeable, troublesome, undesirable |
There are other uses of ‘bad’ not described here, such as when we describe an injured body part (e.g. a ‘bad back’) or rotten food (e.g. ‘bad meat’). And as with ‘good’ above, this range of meanings shows that it’s important to check the definition of synonyms for ‘bad’ before you use them.
‘Good’ and ‘Bad’ in Academic Writing
It’s fine to use words like ‘good’ and ‘bad’ in academic writing, but they’re not usually enough by themselves. This is because they’re evaluative rather than descriptive. For example, if we were writing about management techniques, we might say that ‘unpaid overtime is bad for staff morale’. That is an evaluation because we say it is ‘bad’. But to demonstrate our understanding, we’d also need to explain why it is bad and how we reached that conclusion.
The answer here, then, is to remember that academic writing involves explaining our judgements. And the same applies to using words like ‘good’ and ‘bad’ in other forms of critical writing.
Lesson Five. Good & Bad — Хорошо и плохо
In this lesson we take a look at the words ‘good’ and ‘bad’ and their general use.
You know — вы знаете, the world of English — мир английского is a fun — это увлекательное and exciting place to be –и захватывающее место.
I’m so glad — я так рад, you could join me — что вы смогли присоединиться ко мне for another lesson — на очередном уроке.
Hi everybody, — привет всем, this is Misterduncan in England — это Мистер Данкан из Англии. How are you today — как вы сегодня? Are you OK — вы в порядке? I hope so — надеюсь, что да. Are you happy — вы счастливы? I hope so — надеюсь, что так. In this lesson — в этой лекции we will take a look — мы рассмотрим at two common words — два общих слова, which have — которые имеют opposite meanings — противоположное значение and many uses — и часто используются within the English language — в английском языке. Today we will look — сегодня мы рассмотрим at Good and Bad — слова Хорошо и Плохо .
In English, — в английском языке, just like — так же как any other language, — и в любом другом языке, we need to be able – нам необходимо иметь возможность to express — выразить то, that which is Positive — что позитивно and that which is Negative — и то, что негативно.
The words good and bad — слова хорошо и плохо give us a very simple, — дают нам очень простой, but useful way — но полезный способ of expressing — выражения these descriptions easily, — этих описаний легко.
But there are many other ways — но есть есть много и других способов of showing what is Good or OK — показать, что это хорошо and what is Bad — или что это плохо or Not OK — или не о’кей.
We can use — мы можем применить Good or Bad — слова хорошо или плохо to describe the way we feel — для описания того, что мы чувствуем…
How are you feeling today — как Вы чувствуете себя сегодня?
I feel good — я чувствую себя хорошо.
I feel bad — я чувствую себя плохо.
In the positive sentence, — в позитивных высказываниях good can mean — good может означать: well or happy, — хорошо или счастлив, and in negative sentence, — а в негативных высказываниях bad can mean — bad может означать.. Unwell or Unhappy — плохо или несчастливо.
Good and Bad can be used — Good и Bad могут использоваться для того, to show Enjoyment — чтобы показать удовольствие or a Dislike — или неудовольствие towards something – по отношению к чему—либо.
Did you enjoy the movie — вам понравился фильм? Yes, it was good — да, он был хорошим. No, it was bad — нет, он был плохой.
Of course you can use — конечно, вы можете использовать good and bad — хорошо и плохо to describe a person – чтобы описать человека and their character— и его характера.
Thank you for your help, — спасибо за твою помощь, you are good — ты хороший.
That man stole my bike, — этот человек украл мой велосипед, he is bad — он плохой.
Let‘s look at some — давайте рассмотрим некоторые longer sentences — более длинные предложения using — с использованием слов good and bad — хорошо и плохо.
My boss gave me the morning off — мой босс освободил меня утром from work — от работы. So I went shopping — так, я отправился в магазин. I had a really good morning — у меня было по-настоящему хорошее утро.
I lost my wallet this morning — я потерял мой кошелёк этим утром, and then I was late for work, — и потом я опоздал на работу. I had a really bad morning — у меня было по-настоящему плохое утро.
I went to lunch today — я отправился на ланч сегодня with a good friend of mine — сегодня с моим хорошим другом, but the food at the restaurant was bad — но еда в ресторане была плохой.
I’m not going there again — я не пойду туда снова.
We had a good time today — у нас сегодня был хороший день, to bad we have to say goodbye — так плохо было говорить до свидания.
In the last sentence, too bad means — в последнем предложении too bad так плохо — означает. It is a pity or it isn’t that a shame — так жаль дословно — это жаль — или разве это не досадно? It’s too bad — ‘то так плохо!
It would seem that there are many more uses — казалось бы, что есть намного больше применений for the word «good» than «bad», — для слова «хорошо«, чем для «плохо» which is quite a good thing, don’t you agree — что довольно хорошо, вы не согласны?
Hey! Hey there — эй! I’m talking to you — я говорю с тобой!
Rude bird — невоспитанная птица!
It is worth remembering — стоит помнить, that the words Well and Good cannot always be — что слова well и good не всегда могут быть used as similes — использованы как синонимы.
For example, you can not say — например, вы не можете сказать:
He sang good today — он пел хорошо сегодня .
She ran good today — она хорошо бежала сегодня.
They played good today — они хорошо играли сегодня.
In these sentences, you can only use well — в этих предложениях вы можете использовать только well.
However, when we look at it the other way round, — однако, когда мы рассматриваем эту ситуацию наоборот, well can be used instead of good — well может быть использовано вместо good .
When describing the way you feel — когда мы описываем, что мы чувствуем.
So saying that you feel well — так, сказать, что вы чувствуете себя well or that you feel good are both correct — или что вы чувствуете себя good — и то, и другое верно.
This rule can cause a lot of confusion — это правило часто может стать причиной путаницы for some English students — для некоторых студентов, изучающих английский.
Finally we can use good and bad — и, наконец, мы можем использовать good и bad as basic ways of expressing — как базовый способ выражения того, what is right and wrong — что правильно или неверно.
Good is opposite of Evil and Wicked — Good — противоположность злу или нечисти.
In Religion, we often see — в религии мы часто видим, the words good and evil used as opposites — что слова добро и зло используются как противоположности.
There is a saying in English — есть поговорка в английском языке, that goes — которая гласит. You must take the good with the bad — ты должен брать принимать хорошее вместе с плохим or The rough with smooth — или шершавое с гладким.
This means that life is not always — это означает, что жизнь не всегда fair or easy — справедлива или проста. You must accept the unpleasant experiences — ты должен принимать неприятный опыт and hard times for what they are — и трудное время таким, как оно есть. All experiences — любой опыт are a part of living,- это часть жизни, be the good or bad — будет он хорошим или он или плохим.
Well that is all from me for today, — что ж, это всё от меня на сегодня, but do not feel bad — но не чувствуйте себя плохо, because I will be back again very soon — потому что я вернусь очень скоро.
Is that good for you — это хорошо для вас?
I hope so — надеюсь, что так!
This is Misterduncan in England saying — это Мистер Данкан из Англии говорит.
Thank you for watching me, teaching you — спасибо за просмотр и обучение and of course…
Ta—ta for now — и конечно, пока-пока!
- 0
- 142,406
Hello.
I have been trying to come up with words meaning BOTH GOOD AND BAD. i have been drawing a total blank! the only things i can think of that come close are maybe ‘dual’ or ‘conflicted’ — but these words do not capture the essence of what i’m trying to say!
Please help. Much much Appreciated, Thanks!
- anonymous
- answer
Comments
Hi,
I’m not sure exactly what you want to say. Can you perhaps do something with the words ambiguous or ambivalent?
Best wishes, Clive
- Clive
- add a comment
The above ‘Anonymous’ query was my post (I just joined so you kind people who respond don’t feel like you are talking to a person with ‘dark glasses’ on 
)
Clive
I’m not sure exactly what you want to say. Can you perhaps do something with the words ambiguous or ambivalent?
I don’t believe either ambiguous or ambivalent would work for my circumstance unfortunately. i am kind of trying to get across the idea of a ‘double-edged sword’. just to put this question in context, i am writing an essay on the topic of human rights. in the first sentence of my introduction i used the swordmetaphor, and now need sort of synonyms for this idea that i can use throughout the essay. Please help…my essay has actually come to a standstill because i can’t get around this silly problem
Thank you again!
- Nabstarr
- add a comment
- BarbaraPA
- add a comment
my apologies. papers do make me neurotic and panicky. i checked out the links you provided and can see the double and opposite meanings; but now just trying to get my mind around how to best apply them to the human rights topic (its tough)
thanks, GG
- Nabstarr
- add a comment
Hi,
There’s the idiom that something ‘cuts both ways’.
Something can be ‘a mixed blessing’. Something can be ‘both good news and bad’.
Good luck, Clive
- Clive
- add a comment
This may not be in the same context that you mean, but perhaps oxymoronic?
Just a try,
Good luck finding the word!
-Meaghan
- anonymous
- add a comment
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Answer this Question
Q: I understand the difference between “feel bad” and “feel badly,” but “love so bad”? Wouldn’t that be best stated as “love so badly”? Perhaps I hear the wrong phrase so often that my mind is muddled.
A: In slang usage, the adjective “bad” means “good,” as we mentioned in a post we wrote some time ago about the influence of African-American slang on English.
The surprising thing about this use of “bad”—apart from the reversed meaning—is that it’s not recent. It dates back to the 19th century, as we’ll explain later.
But in an expression like “love so bad,” the word is an adverb, not an adjective. It’s being used as an intensifier—that is, to intensify the verb it modifies—with the result that “so bad” means “so greatly” or “so much.”
We know what you’re thinking—“bad” as an adverb? Is that legal?
Well, here’s another surprise. The adverb “bad” isn’t new either. It’s been around since the 16th century, according to citations in the Oxford English Dictionary.
In the earliest adverbial uses, “bad” wasn’t an intensifier. It was used more literally and meant “badly” or “not well.”
The OED’s earliest example is from George Turberville’s The Booke of Faulconrie or Hauking (1575): “He … frames his moode, according as his hawke doth well or bad.”
But by the latter half of the 1600s, “bad” was being used intensively, to emphasize the preceding verb, in the same way that we use “much.”
This 17th-century example is from Joseph Glanvill’s Saducismus Triumphatus, a book on witches and apparitions that was written sometime before 1680: “Haunted almost as bad as Mr. Mompesson’s house.”
In the 18th century, Joseph Bellamy wrote in True Religion Delineated (1750): “We hate him so bad, that we cannot find it in our Hearts to love him.”
And in the 19th century, John Russell Bartlett included in his Dictionary of Americanisms (1859) the expression “I want to see him bad.”
The OED also includes a citation from a British novel, Under the Chilterns (1895), written under the pen name Rosemary: “Las’ week there was a job doin’ up at the squire’s, an’ I wanted to go bad.”
Today, in the OED’s estimation, this sense of “bad” as an intensifier is colloquial and nonstandard, and it appears “chiefly” in North American usage. American language authorities, however, aren’t as critical.
As we’ve written before on the blog, Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage maintains that the adverb “bad” is interchangeable with “badly” after the verbs “want” and “need.”
Similarly, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (11th ed.) has an entry for the adverb “bad” defined as “badly,” and includes the example “doesn’t want it bad enough.” This dictionary treats the usage as standard English.
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th ed.) doesn’t go quite that far. It says the adverbial use of “bad” as in “his tooth ached so bad” is “common in informal speech but is widely regarded as unacceptable in formal writing.”
Although the OED considers it nonstandard to use “bad” as an intensifier meaning “greatly” or “very much,” it accepts without reservation the use of “badly” in this way.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the slang use of the adjective “bad.” As we mentioned above, the use of “bad” to mean “good” dates back to the 19th century.
The Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang says that, especially in African-American English, “bad” is used to mean “wonderful; deeply satisfying; stunningly attractive or stylish; sexy.”
The dictionary’s earliest reference is from George Ade’s Pink Marsh (1897): “She sutny fix up a pohk chop ’at’s bad to eat.” (The book is a collection of sketches about a fictional black shoe-shine man named William Pinckney Marsh, a k a Pink.)
Random House also cites this line from a 1927 review in Variety: “In Duke Ellington’s dance band Harlem has reclaimed its own. … Ellington’s jazzique is just too bad.”
The OED also includes this usage, which it labels as slang. Here “bad” is used, the dictionary says, “as a general term of approbation” and means “good, excellent, impressive; esp. stylish or attractive.”
Oxford’s citations begin with George Ade in 1897 and continue into the present day.
Among them are this definition of “bad” in Leonard Feather’s The Encyclopedia of Jazz (1955): “Bad, adj. Good. (This reverse adjectival procedure is commonly used to describe a performance.)”
The OED also includes this 1980 example, from an article in Time magazine: “Bad as the best and as cool as they come, Smokey is remarkably low key for a soul master.”
But “bad” was used further back in a slightly different and possibly unrelated slang sense.
Both Oxford and Random House have entries for “bad” meaning “formidable” and hence “formidably skilled,” with examples dating from the 1840s and ’50s.
We find some of these early citations ambiguous; the speaker’s meaning isn’t always clear-cut. As far as we can tell, the first example in which this “badness” is clearly viewed with admiration appeared in the 1870s.
Random House gives an example from The Colored Cadet at West Point (1878), an autobiography by Henry O. Flipper, the first black graduate of the U.S. Military Academy.
In this passage, Flipper quotes from a newspaper article that mocked his post-graduation homecoming in 1877:
“A darkey would approach the young man, cautiously, feel of his buttons and clothes, and enthusiastically remark: ‘Bad man wid de gub-ment strops on!’ ” (The newspaper article included this among “expressions of admiration.”)
American Heritage has an interesting note on the positive uses of “bad,” which the dictionary says “illustrate a favorite creative device of informal and slang language—using a word to mean the opposite of what it ‘really’ means.”
“This is by no means uncommon; people use words sarcastically to mean the opposite of their actual meanings on a daily basis,” the dictionary says.
“What is more unusual is for such a usage to be generally accepted within a larger community,” the note continues. “Perhaps when the concepts are as basic as ‘good’ and ‘bad’ this general acceptance is made easier.”
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Continue Learning about English Language Arts
Is suck a good word or bad word?
Said by other: It can be both.
Said by Me: It’s a good word and a bad word, everyone!
What part of speech is the word bad?
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What is the abstract noun for bad?
The word bad is both an adjective and an abstract noun (take the good with the bad).The abstract noun form for the adjective bad is badness.
A good word for bad behavior?
a good word for bad behavior is…. crazy,pycho, bad, or
mean.
Is slay a bad word?
Words known as verbs generally show action. It is not the ‘word’
in itself that is good or bad. It may be the action that it shows.
«Slay’ means to kill. In this sense it shows a bad action.