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Definitions

bad

[bad] / bæd /










ADJECTIVE
(informal) impressively tough or skillful
Synonyms
Antonyms


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.

There have also been concerns that bad actors have also seized on the restrictions placed on Iranian imagery to proliferate fakes online.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

The superstition goes that the leader must burn off bad luck, leaving only good fortune for the mission.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

A bad outcome for this weekend’s meeting would be marked by collapsed talks over the Lebanon issue or over shipping disputes, said Neil Crosby, head of oil research at Sparta Commodities, in an email.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

“To the extent that people are disappointed in this recovery, they pin their hopes on Spencer. That’s not a bad place for him to be.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Always before when pain from the gallstones had got too bad, she’d had an operation.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom




Vocabulary lists containing bad