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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of bad
ABC News, 14 June 2026
Meanwhile, the traffic can be quietly routed through a bad path.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 June 2026
Judy Berman, Time, 21 Jan. 2026
Pull leftovers that still need to be eaten to the front, along with any foods that are going to go bad soon.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Nov. 2025
Mellissa Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2023
Good drama is the choice between two bads.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for bad
Adjective
Bolojan was sworn in with the aim of ending one of Romania’s worst political crises in its post-communist history, but lasted less than a year.
—ABC News, 14 June 2026
Meanwhile, the traffic can be quietly routed through a bad path.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 June 2026
Adverb
The dialogue sometimes lapses from bad-funny to just bad.
—Judy Berman, Time, 21 Jan. 2026
Pull leftovers that still need to be eaten to the front, along with any foods that are going to go bad soon.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Nov. 2025
Noun
Despite the obvious bad, there was undeniable good.
—Mellissa Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2023
Good drama is the choice between two bads.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for bad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bad
Adjective
-
The third strand of anti-vaccine advocacy, that compelling vaccine use is unacceptable, is a philosophical claim, not one of fact.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
There is, of course, Itaewon, which is historically more associated with foreigners and other outsiders, where all who are deemed unacceptable are accepted.—
Anton Hur,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
This is a story devoid of childlike wonder, just the horrific evil men are capable of and the small acts of grace found in unspeakable circumstances.—
Chris Nashawaty,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 June 2026
-
Nicholas Galitzine stars as the muscular hero in the new version, which also features Idris Elba as Man-at-Arms Duncan, Camila Mendes as Teela and Jared Leto as the evil wizard Skeletor.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
But others say research in Australia has shown that age verification is difficult to enforce, and that a blanket ban seemed to be a snap decision that does not address a deeper problem — the way social media algorithms push harmful content to young people.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
-
There were also die-offs of seals, sea lions and marine birds, Leising said, probably from a combination of a lack of food and harmful algal blooms, and less food out there for baleen whales.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
The play was naughty stuff in 1925, when the show, starring Tallulah Bankhead, got banned.—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
But theatergoers around me couldn’t seem to get enough, no matter how repetitive the naughty humor became.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
The sad thing for me is that, as a young actor, there was a platform for small independent films that were interesting.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
11 June 2026
-
Someone said an ending can be both happy and sad at the same time, which is surely correct.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Spinraza works on the defective gene to produce more of the missing protein.—
Ciara McCarthy
June 15,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 June 2026
-
Under state law, Attorney General James Uthmeier would be required to amend the ballot summary if it is found to be defective.—
Gray Rohrer,
Miami Herald,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Hydrogen sulfide smells like rotten eggs and ammonia gives off notes of urine, sweat or dead fish.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
12 June 2026
-
Then there was the rotten-egg smell.—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Residents who have discussed the issue online described the smell as one of the most unpleasant aspects of the ongoing seaweed buildup.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2026
-
The figure-skimming silhouette also prevents the unpleasant feeling of sweating in too-tight clothes.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bad. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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