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.
But with the economy as bad as it is, she said, “I’ll have to be a bit more humble in my demands.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026
Not a bad time in the season to score your finest ever goal for the club.
From BBC • May 10, 2026
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
Do parents think they have … bad kids, I wonder?
From Slate • May 10, 2026
Then he said, “He’d smell bad, though, wouldn’t he?”
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
Vocabulary lists containing bad
