Synonyms of bad
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as in unacceptable 
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as in evil
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as in harmful
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as in naughty
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as in sad
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as in defective
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as in rotten
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as in unpleasant
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as in terrible
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as in poorly
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as in null
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as in malicious
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as in sick
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as in dangerous
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as in bad
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as in poor
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as in ominous
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as in badly
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as in severely
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as in no
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as in wrong
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as in disease
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as in badness
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as in misfortune
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Try This Instead
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Example Sentences
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Phrases Containing
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Entries Near
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Related Articles
1
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
a bad first attempt at making meat loaf resulted in a soggy, inedible mess
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2
as in evil
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable
stealing is just plain bad
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3
as in harmful
causing or capable of causing harm
sitting too close to the television is said to be bad for the eyes
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4
as in naughty
engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior
the children were bad, so they didn't get dessert
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5
as in sad
feeling unhappiness
hearing about the world's miseries always makes him feel bad
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6
as in defective
having a fault
a bad video connection that is causing some picture loss
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7
as in rotten
having undergone organic breakdown
I think the milk has turned bad
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8
as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses
the air in the damp basement had a very bad smell
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9
as in terrible
of low quality
bad shoes that fell apart within a week
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10
as in poorly
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body
I've been feeling bad all week with this cold
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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
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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
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as in badly
in an unsatisfactory way
you didn't do too bad on the treadmill test
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as in wrong
that which is morally unacceptable
there's bad and good in people of every race and nationality
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1
2
as in dangerous
causing or capable of causing harm
one of the ill effects of winter weather is the rapid spread of germs as people spend more time together indoors
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3
as in bad
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body
since I'm ill, I guess that I'll just have to miss that dental appointment
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4
as in poor
falling short of a standard
such ill behavior will not be tolerated
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5
as in ominous
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come
the abrupt breakdown of negotiations appears to be an ill omen for this ongoing hostage situation
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1
as in severely
in a manner so as to cause loss or suffering
in those days society treated debtors very ill, even going so far as to put them in prison
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2
as in no
certainly not
you can ill afford to miss another day of work
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1
as in disease
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning
chicken pox and the other ills that were once a fixture of childhood
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2
as in badness
that which is morally unacceptable
idealistic people who try to cure all of our society's ills
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3
as in misfortune
bad luck or an example of this
the travelers merrily set off on their journey, scarcely imagining the ills that would befall them
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Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
bad news
bad weather
bad luck
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of bad
Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 5 Apr. 2025
Jack: This is just a bad team that has occasionally had good days.
—The View From The Lane, New York Times, 5 Apr. 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
Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2025
Italian media reported that the Dear Diary and The Son’s Room filmmaker had fallen ill in the afternoon and been taken to Rome’s San Camillo Hospital, where he was operated on immediately.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2025
Chris Willman, Variety, 7 Mar. 2025
In the current measles epidemic in Texas, the vast majority of people falling ill are unvaccinated.
—Daniel Pastula, The Conversation, 28 Feb. 2025
Jacob Gallagher, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2025
The book doesn’t find a clear answer to its titular question but breaks a taboo by searching for one in choices made by Iranians themselves and not just ills done to them by outsiders.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bad
Adjective
Since Trump’s Wednesday announcement, the stock market plummeted to its worst position since March 2020.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 5 Apr. 2025
Jack: This is just a bad team that has occasionally had good days.
—The View From The Lane, New York Times, 5 Apr. 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
Adjective
By the end of August 2020, more than 2,200 prisoners and 270 staff members at San Quentin had fallen ill.
—Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2025
Italian media reported that the Dear Diary and The Son’s Room filmmaker had fallen ill in the afternoon and been taken to Rome’s San Camillo Hospital, where he was operated on immediately.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2025
Adverb
Co-leader Chris Difford has apparently taken ill, although the less Squeeze-attentive parts of the audience may not have noticed, since primary lead singer Glenn Tilbrook is holding down the fort quite effectively.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 7 Mar. 2025
In the current measles epidemic in Texas, the vast majority of people falling ill are unvaccinated.
—Daniel Pastula, The Conversation, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
The symbolic surprise of the week came from Comme des Garçons Homme Plus, where the designer Rei Kawakubo startled the audience if only because this was really the sole show that seemed, through its clothes, to acknowledge the broader ills of the world.
—Jacob Gallagher, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2025
The book doesn’t find a clear answer to its titular question but breaks a taboo by searching for one in choices made by Iranians themselves and not just ills done to them by outsiders.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bad
Cite this Entry
“Bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bad. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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