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
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11
as in null
having no legal or binding force
all known claims on the property were dismissed by the court as bad
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Recent Examples of bad
The California Independent Booksellers Alliance, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025
So first, the argument for not giving President Trump and Elon Musk more power to do more bad, to move money around at will, to shut down more organizations and to give it our vote.
—Mansee Khurana, NPR, 12 Mar. 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
Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Mar. 2023
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
See All Example Sentences for bad
Adjective
How to build good habits and break bad ones via tiny changes in behavior.
…
Paperback fiction
1.
—The California Independent Booksellers Alliance, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025
So first, the argument for not giving President Trump and Elon Musk more power to do more bad, to move money around at will, to shut down more organizations and to give it our vote.
—Mansee Khurana, NPR, 12 Mar. 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
Good drama is the choice between two bads.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Mar. 2023
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
See All Example Sentences for bad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bad
Adjective
-
But this false choice that some are buying instead of fighting is unacceptable.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
14 Mar. 2025
-
But for a lot of people following Markle's every move anything other than perfection is unacceptable.—
Alanna Bennett,
refinery29.com,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Ben Stiller even makes a brief cameo as the evil nursing home orderly, Hal.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
18 Mar. 2025
-
Through divine intervention, Prahlad survives the flames, while the evil sister, Holika, perishes.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
This can be extremely harmful to the lungs of at-risk people, including children whose lungs are still developing, pregnant women, older adults and those with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or diabetes, according to the American Lung Assn.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Test results from Consumer Reports found potentially harmful chemicals in roughly half of the formula products.—
Geoff Harris,
Baltimore Sun,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Believe it or not, between sipping delicious eggnog and hot cocoa and enjoying the joy of Yuletide with family and friends, there are still naughty killjoys afoot during Christmastime — the worst of which appear in some of the best holiday films.—
Mike Miller,
People.com,
19 Dec. 2024
-
Here’s a look at the box without the lighting effects: The sarcophagus marks the latest viral popcorn collectible that theater chains have created to help boost revenue, with the infamous Dune popcorn bucket being the most famous and the Deadpool & Wolverine bucket being the most naughty.—
James Hibberd,
The Hollywood Reporter,
26 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Family members and two of his lawyers say he was diagnosed with severe PTSD, a sad and rapid fall that ended in another explosion of violence.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
16 Mar. 2025
-
The receptivity of people to demagoguery is an old, sad story, analyzed at least as far back as the Greeks.—
Jay Nordlinger,
National Review,
14 Mar. 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
-
The smell of rotten eggs, from when officials carted her off to quarantine without letting her refrigerate her groceries, is long gone.—
Vivian Wang,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2025
-
There weren’t just ‘rotten kids hanging out at the mall,’ as was said in those days.—
Kyle Newman,
The Denver Post,
9 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
This is notable, given that post-Covid brick and mortar shopping has generally become so unpleasant, it’s given rise to the need for a personal shopper.—
Jennifer Leigh Parker,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Less a song than a gag, every individual element is unpleasant: single-entendre lyrics; vocals and synths that aren’t even in the same key; and the less said about Space Cowboy’s guest verse, the better.—
Kristen S. Hé,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bad. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.
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