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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in evil
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable
stealing is just plain bad
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in naughty
engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior
the children were bad, so they didn't get dessert
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in sad
feeling unhappiness
hearing about the world's miseries always makes him feel bad
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in defective
having a fault
a bad video connection that is causing some picture loss
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in rotten
having undergone organic breakdown
I think the milk has turned bad
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
as in terrible
of low quality
bad shoes that fell apart within a week
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
11
as in null
having no legal or binding force
all known claims on the property were dismissed by the court as bad
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in badly
in an unsatisfactory way
you didn't do too bad on the treadmill test
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in wrong
that which is morally unacceptable
there's bad and good in people of every race and nationality
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
bad news
bad weather
bad luck
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bad
Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 11 Jan. 2025
That is a bad combination and one the Chargers need to take advantage of.
—Daniel Popper, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
J. Richard Gott, Scientific American, 17 Feb. 2021
The researchers think that by expelling their bad-tasting innards when fish are nibbling nearby, sea squirts may drive the fish away.
—Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 26 June 2015
Joe George, Men's Health, 16 Feb. 2023
Then a new big bad entered the arena.
—Peter Rubin, Longreads, 15 Apr. 2022
See all Example Sentences for bad 
Adjective
Trump's first term was considered really bad at -4%.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 11 Jan. 2025
That is a bad combination and one the Chargers need to take advantage of.
—Daniel Popper, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
Adverb
Ignoring one of them can lead you to bad-looking maps no one would prefer.
—J. Richard Gott, Scientific American, 17 Feb. 2021
The researchers think that by expelling their bad-tasting innards when fish are nibbling nearby, sea squirts may drive the fish away.
—Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 26 June 2015
Noun
In the Avenge the Earth storyline, those big bads included Apocalypse, the first mutant, and, of course, Kang the Conqueror.
—Joe George, Men's Health, 16 Feb. 2023
Then a new big bad entered the arena.
—Peter Rubin, Longreads, 15 Apr. 2022
See all Example Sentences for bad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bad
Adjective
-
The section says that Amazon believes in creating a diverse and inclusive company and that inequitable treatment of anyone is unacceptable.Annie Palmer, CNBC, 10 Jan. 2025
-
One glaring weakness Poles probably spent too much time talking about Williams’ role in the unacceptable number of sacks.Kevin Fishbain, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
This was not out of choice: After his capture and before his execution, Höss was ordered to write his memoir, giving an insight into the workings of a mind that was both ordinary and chillingly evil.Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, 17 Jan. 2025
-
Nietzsche’s treatise criticizes philosophers who rest their moral framework on the assumption that good and evil are opposites.Bethy Squires, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Market intervention is always and everywhere harmful simply because markets are people.John Tamny, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
-
In an October 2022 article in the Montreal Gazette, Bryn Austin, a professor at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, highlighted how BMI can lead to harmful outcomes.David Faris, Newsweek, 19 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Making things worse, someone out there was naughty, preventing Santa from conducting his typical year-end rally in the stock market.Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 2 Jan. 2025
-
A little naughty and a little nice, the delectable scent spotlights black cherry, Bourbon vanilla, hazelnut and almond cream.Celia Shatzman, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
But nothing in life is sadder than a reality television person who doesn't know when to retire.Dana Rose Falcone, People.com, 15 Jan. 2025
-
Air France regrets this sad event and expresses its sincere condolences.Michael D. Carroll AND Theo Burman, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
In a statement to Digital Trends, LG said the LED TVs, which weigh up to 101.2 pounds with stands, aren't defective on their own.Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 13 Jan. 2023
-
Jurors in Gwinnett County, northeast of Atlanta, returned the verdict in the years-long civil case involving what the plaintiffs’ lawyers called dangerously defective roofs on Ford pickup trucks, lawyer James Butler Jr. said.Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2022
Adjective
-
Summary Flatulence that smells like rotten eggs is common and is caused by eating foods containing sulfur.Laura Dorwart, Verywell Health, 15 Jan. 2025
-
There is something rotten about it, and its been that way for a large sample size now.Joshua Kloke, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Still, with a budget deficit looming next year and a mayor whose preferred mode of dealing with unpleasant fiscal realities is to hike taxes, revenue grabs like congestion pricing are always on the table.The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2025
-
Another surprise was how unpleasant emotions were often motivating for leaders.Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near bad
Cite this Entry
“Bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bad. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share