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.
They note that the main culprit was a “catastrophically bad control-room design” where workers “were unable to understand what was going wrong.”
From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026
With stroke play, he says, “one bad break like that would ruin your chances for the entire event.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026
Suddenly the idea of blocking out the sun with space mirrors doesn’t sound so bad, does it?
From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026
“It was so bad that it would twist my stomach into a knot,” she recalls.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
We had gone forty or fifty miles on a calm, even day with no bad wind.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
