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.
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Kidlike company off-sites are gaining traction because they reduce the odds of bad behavior and put everyone on equal footing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Sparks guard Kiana Williams played seven minutes with what Roberts called “a really bad thumb injury that she’s just kind of toughing through.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
His current haul of 18 - seven gold, four silver and a further seven bronze - is not bad going.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Furthermore, if all this has the depressingly familiar feeling of a repeated bad dream, it probably should.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
Some might consider it a bad omen, but Joey smiles.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
The National Federation of the Blind has called for a full pavement parking ban, arguing any parking on pavements "damages them in the longer term, leaving them in a worse state for pedestrians".
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Prominent economists, tech leaders and researchers have warned that AI could transform the economy for better or worse, bringing large-scale job displacement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
But what comes after a shock is often worse than the shock itself.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
That’s because, as much as any player not named Messi, Fernandez came to embody Argentina’s World Cup—for better and for worse.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Or, worse, what if he was bored with our friendship now and wanted out?
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
The family recalled arriving at Addenbrooke's Hospital and experiencing "the worst 12 hours" of their lives after the attack, which involved "signing consent forms involving resuscitation and amputation".
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
In 2025, more than 393,000 hectares had been consumed by flames in Spain, according to the European Forest Fire Information System, the worst toll in the country's recent history.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
The worst ones seem to happen during bear markets, when the winning stocks of the preceding boom get trashed.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
But anytime you make a documentary, you’re asking people to be especially vulnerable on camera, and they are often telling you about the worst moments of their life but from a somewhat safe distance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
“This was the reason we were sent here. Not to be the worst partner team in the history of forever, but because you and I are supposed to fix this.”
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Vocabulary lists containing bad
