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.
Years ago, on particularly bad days, when the air around the smelter was hazy, “it would choke you out. It was like walking in a cloud,” Bunger said.
From Salon • May 10, 2026
“All problem behaviors come from feelings that overpower skills,” she says, which is also “true for adults,” whose hyperpotent feelings “come out as bad behavior.”
From Slate • May 10, 2026
“There’s been an evolution, broadening the scope and definition of what a bagel is. And I don’t think it’s a bad thing. Ultimately it will lead back to the New York bagel.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026
Good point or bad - we won't know the truth of that until next week.
From BBC • May 9, 2026
“I remember when my grandfather died. I was little, but I knew that everybody was upset because it was sort of sudden. I’m sorry, it must have been bad when she died.”
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
Vocabulary lists containing bad
