be bad

VERB

act up (misbehave)

Synonyms

WEAK

act out be out of line behave badly carry on fool around horseplay make trouble misbehave rebel set a bad example show off

Antonyms

WEAK

behave

VERB

misbehave

Synonyms

STRONGEST

act up fool around trespass

STRONG

deviate fail misconduct offend roughhouse sin transgress

WEAK

be at fault be dissolute be guilty be immoral be indecorous be insubordinate be mischievous be out of line be out of order be reprehensible bend the law carry on cut up do evil do wrong get into mischief go astray go wrong make trouble sow wild oats take a wrong turn

Antonyms

STRONG

behave obey

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.

That could be bad news for many bond investors since prices go down as rates go up.

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

As days passed, traders who bet on the deal worried the tip might be bad because Amazon didn’t announce a purchase of the maker of robot vacuums.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

In 2022, Spirit agreed to be acquired by New York-based airline JetBlue, but the merger was eventually blocked in 2024 by a federal judge who said the deal would be bad for competition.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

His comments came just days after American CEO Robert Isom said a merger with United would be bad for customers, the industry and American Airlines.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

It might be bad, but it wasn’t over.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart

be bad

Example Sentences

Related Words