bad
Usage
What are other ways to say bad?
When describing things that are lacking in moral qualities or are actually vicious and reprehensible, bad is the broadest and simplest term: a bad man; bad habits. Evil applies to that which violates or leads to the violation of moral law: evil practices. Ill now appears mainly in certain fixed expressions, with a milder implication than that in evil: ill will; ill-natured. Wicked implies willful and determined doing of what is very wrong: a wicked plan.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But let’s remind ourselves: It’s better to be lucky than good, and that Betts has been unlucky, which is bad.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
One of those at the meeting, Rebecca Gill, said she had a bad experience after having to travel to Antrim when she was pregnant.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
For parents, however, the problem goes beyond bad geography.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
Tribak described his life as "not bad", but told AFP: "I thought I would earn more if I put in the same effort there as I do here."
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
Whenever I would cry about something or have a bad day, she’d hug me and I’d inhale that scent.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
He’s not the only disappointment: Mookie Betts is hitting worse than ever before in his career while another newcomer, $240-million man Kyle Tucker, is hitting just .239 with 11 home runs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
"Even though Europe's problems have only gotten worse with this summer's abnormally hot temperatures, drying rivers and further disrupting transport within the continent, earnings expectations for Stoxx 600 companies keep rising!"
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
During the livestream, V said his hearing became worse when he was serving in the military.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
"The more TBX5 you removed, the worse the disruption across every level of genome organization we looked at."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026
My headache was worse; I was dizzy, trying to think of what to do.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
Whatever predictions Báez had once made about career trajectory were quickly looking overly ambitious at best and downright ridiculous at worst.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
The Dodgers’ loss to Milwaukee on Thursday will prove to be the worst of the season, come October.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
Croatia's fire chief Slavko Tucakovic described it as "one of the worst" blazes in the country's history.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Pereira's worst affected neighborhoods were also its most impoverished, with homeless people, Venezuelan migrants and street vendors in precarious situations bearing the brunt of the impact.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Then to hear a song confirming Clare’s worst fears about himself?
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Vocabulary lists containing bad
