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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Related Articles
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Entries Near
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
Examples Sentences
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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
Tracy Neal, arkansasonline.com, 7 Jan. 2025
In the five years after his 2009 paper, there were essentially no scientific studies linking food processing to ill health.
—Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 30 Dec. 2024
This month, more than 80 people reportedly fell ill after eating oysters at the Los Angeles Times 101 Best Restaurants event, USA TODAY previously reported.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 30 Dec. 2024
Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 20 Dec. 2024
No, this is not a panacea for all our social and political ills.
—Jon Lapook, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2024
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
Adjective
Whitten told police his daughter had been ill since Christmas, according to the affidavit.
—Tracy Neal, arkansasonline.com, 7 Jan. 2025
In the five years after his 2009 paper, there were essentially no scientific studies linking food processing to ill health.
—Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
Adverb
People who fall ill with norovirus typically recover within one to three days, per the CDC.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 30 Dec. 2024
This month, more than 80 people reportedly fell ill after eating oysters at the Los Angeles Times 101 Best Restaurants event, USA TODAY previously reported.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 30 Dec. 2024
Noun
The report also outlined recommendations for healing communities wracked by the social ills wrought by the schools, for revitalizing language and cultural support, for reunifying families, for reforms in tribal community education and for steps to reduce violence in tribal communities.
—Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 20 Dec. 2024
No, this is not a panacea for all our social and political ills.
—Jon Lapook, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bad
Thesaurus Entries Near bad
Cite this Entry
“Bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bad. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.
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