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
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
Amber Dance, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2025
To date, 147 people have been reportedly diagnosed with TB in the outbreak, with 67 becoming ill.
—Karen Dobos, The Conversation, 6 Mar. 2025
Mark Joseph, Newsweek, 24 Feb. 2025
One of the best ways to help reduce your chances of falling ill with the virus is to frequently wash your hands.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025
Russell Contreras, Axios, 30 Jan. 2025
During the Cold War, population control came to be seen as a kind of master key—a panacea for social and political ills.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
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
Adjective
These volunteers have been too ill or were otherwise ineligible for a human organ transplant.
—Amber Dance, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2025
To date, 147 people have been reportedly diagnosed with TB in the outbreak, with 67 becoming ill.
—Karen Dobos, The Conversation, 6 Mar. 2025
Adverb
His behavior was made public by his wife, a young mother based in Quebec, Canada, who fell dangerously ill recently and pleaded with her husband to come home from work as a result.
—Mark Joseph, Newsweek, 24 Feb. 2025
One of the best ways to help reduce your chances of falling ill with the virus is to frequently wash your hands.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
The big picture: The Trump administration is working to erase diversity initiatives from the federal government and in schools as President Trump blames DEI for many ills of the nation, from the deadly plane collision outside D.C. to falling student test scores.
—Russell Contreras, Axios, 30 Jan. 2025
During the Cold War, population control came to be seen as a kind of master key—a panacea for social and political ills.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 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 26 Mar. 2025.
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