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.
She has a bad back and only flies business class on flights over four hours.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
By "glossing over" the allegations, "the final film has been mostly stripped of any humanity, good and bad", wrote IndieWire's Kate Erbland.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
In fact, as Trivariate’s Adam Parker puts it, “the precedent for this year being a bad year for stocks is relatively thin.”
From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026
And that’s not a bad thing, notwithstanding the many skeptics who are questioning Cook’s achievements and the path he put Apple on.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026
About how he talked more than he listened and made Avery feel bad when she couldn’t do a skateboarding trick he was trying to teach her and ditched her for other people at the pool.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
Vocabulary lists containing bad
