bad 1 of 6

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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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as in sad
feeling unhappiness hearing about the world's miseries always makes him feel bad

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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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bad

2 of 6

adverb (1)

bad

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noun (1)

ill

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adjective (2)

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as in sick
affected with nausea she grew ill from the constant rocking motion of the boat

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as in poor
falling short of a standard such ill behavior will not be tolerated

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ill

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adverb (2)

ill

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noun (2)

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bad news
awful news
bad weather
poor weather
awful weather
terrible weather
nasty weather
unfavorable weather
bad luck
rotten luck
lousy luck
a bad idea
a foolish idea
a dangerous idea
a poor idea
an unwise idea
an awful idea
bad behavior
malicious behavior
naughty behavior
poor behavior
terrible behavior
awful behavior

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
Adjective
Jamie Foxx is the type of man who attracts a lot of attention, for better or worse. Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 11 Dec. 2024 Residents, furious that more than 200 people died during Spain’s worst floods in decades, pelted them with mud. Micheline Maynard, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024
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
The National Human Rights Defense Network said the massacre occurred because the gang leader’s child had been severely ill, prompting him to seek advice from a Vodou priest. Evens Sanon and Dánica Coto, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024 Between 2013 and 2019, raw milk was responsible for 75 outbreaks of foodborne ill in the U.S., affecting 675 people — around half of which were aged 0-19. Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
Adverb
So ill, in fact, that Claire is unable to find a pulse. Amy Wilkinson, Vulture, 23 Nov. 2024 The other plaintiff in the lawsuit is on the junior varsity team, but as a top runner there, could be in contention for a varsity spot should any of the varsity runners fall ill or get injured. Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 23 Nov. 2024
Noun
The party spent the last four years demonizing men and blaming us for all of society’s ills. J. Marcos Peterson, Chicago Tribune, 14 Nov. 2024 The decline of in-person theater attendance, seen by many as one of the biggest ills affecting the industry, also seems to be not such a big problem for those financing AFM-friendly independent films, which have not traditionally focused on theatrical deals. Todd Longwell, Variety, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bad 

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Cite this Entry

“Bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bad. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

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