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:
Afterward, a visibly upset Jackson defended the rapper as “misunderstood” and criticized Mr. Clinton for “very bad judgment” in raising the issue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
“I guess one gets used to not being held accountable and turning one’s bad practices into marketing material,” noted Timnit Gebru, an AI ethicist and critic of companies that are anthropomorphizing AI.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Davies recalled turning to a nurse for guidance, asking: "I know how bad it is, shouldn't he know how bad it is?"
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
“It’s great that it’s here. It’s kind of bad that we’re the guinea pigs,” says one local leader.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
“You just what? You feel bad for the stupid badger?”
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
These animals also performed worse on tasks that tested their ability to remember where food had been located.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
But I get it: You are afraid you have left some giant loophole in your estate planning that could cause delays or worse after you’re gone.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
The contrasts become worse in looking at Vance and Obama’s second books, both of which were more obviously written with an eye toward running for higher office.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
But the carmaker issued a shock profit warning last month, saying that business in China was proving even worse than expected amid fierce competition and a sluggish economy.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
‘So gradual you could sometimes convince yourself it wasn’t really happening. Till it started speeding up, and it felt like every time we saw her she’d taken another giant turn for the worse.’
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
During one of the worst energy crises in history, brought on by the Iran war, the crude market’s top customer cut imports by 40%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
As Sara emerges as the ever-dwindling group’s heroine, Max goes from being the bossy but loveable Alpha Friend to She Who Must Be Obeyed, even as she makes the worst decisions possible.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
In Somerset, farmers have described this as the worst drought in 50 years, leaving crops struggling.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
In Spain, the worst of the fires have been west of the capital Madrid.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
I couldn’t risk him thinking the worst of me for the rest of our lives.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
Vocabulary lists containing bad
