1
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard a bad first attempt at making meat loaf resulted in a soggy, inedible mess
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2
as in evil
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable stealing is just plain bad
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3
as in harmful
causing or capable of causing harm sitting too close to the television is said to be bad for the eyes
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4
as in naughty
engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior the children were bad, so they didn't get dessert
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5
as in sad
feeling unhappiness hearing about the world's miseries always makes him feel bad
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6
as in defective
having a fault a bad video connection that is causing some picture loss
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7
as in rotten
having undergone organic breakdown I think the milk has turned bad
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8
as in unpleasant
not giving pleasure to the mind or senses the air in the damp basement had a very bad smell
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9
as in terrible
of low quality bad shoes that fell apart within a week
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10
as in poorly
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body I've been feeling bad all week with this cold
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11
as in null
having no legal or binding force all known claims on the property were dismissed by the court as bad
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12
as in malicious
slang having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it with all of his tattoos and piercings, that skinhead looks like one really bad dude
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as in badly
in an unsatisfactory way you didn't do too bad on the treadmill test
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as in wrong
that which is morally unacceptable there's bad and good in people of every race and nationality
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bad
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026 The kid who sat in the crowd and didn’t hear his name called at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on draft night in 2019 hasn’t done too bad for himself. —Emile Nuh, CNN Money, 19 Apr. 2026
Judy Berman, Time, 21 Jan. 2026 Pull leftovers that still need to be eaten to the front, along with any foods that are going to go bad soon. —Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Nov. 2025
Mellissa Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2023 Good drama is the choice between two bads. —Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Mar. 2023 See All Example Sentences for bad
Adjective
Not a bad first 100 days in New York at all. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026 The kid who sat in the crowd and didn’t hear his name called at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on draft night in 2019 hasn’t done too bad for himself. —Emile Nuh, CNN Money, 19 Apr. 2026
Adverb
The dialogue sometimes lapses from bad-funny to just bad. —Judy Berman, Time, 21 Jan. 2026 Pull leftovers that still need to be eaten to the front, along with any foods that are going to go bad soon. —Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Nov. 2025
Noun
Despite the obvious bad, there was undeniable good. —Mellissa Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2023 Good drama is the choice between two bads. —Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Mar. 2023 See All Example Sentences for bad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bad
Adjective
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Ultimately, this will mean more encampments, more preventable deaths in the streets, and more individuals and families with no other option but to live in unsafe and unacceptable conditions.— Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
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Not ready for prime time Amazon’s Prime Video losing its feed in overtime of the Charlotte Hornets-Miami Heat play-in game was unacceptable for a streaming network that deems itself big time.— Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The actors sprang to life, staging a lurid scene in which an evil mistress named Selina frames the heroine for killing her unborn child.— Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
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Clearly, the Iranian regime is evil.— Tom Jurkowsky, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Regulation remains uneven, education is inconsistent, and the line between a manageable high and a harmful one isn’t always clear, especially for younger or inexperienced users.— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 20 Apr. 2026
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The rollbacks included minimum wage requirements for home healthcare workers and people with disabilities, and rules governing exposure to harmful substances and safety procedures at mines.— Seung Min Kim, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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His tics are not naughty mischief, but an uncontrollable action.— Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
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Paltrow has been savvy at selling herself as naughty and nice.— Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The sad but realistic turns in their lives are engrossing, as is their slow convergence.— Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
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While Vosk’s sassier Cee Cee holds her own in the churn, Barrett, also a fine singer but trapped in the straight-and-narrow part (with sadder wigs), gets swept out to sea.— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In 2020, a plant on the construction site produced defective concrete that was used for three months before anyone noticed, according to another lawsuit.— Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
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But while some looked for the gene, Welsh studied the structure and inner workings of defective CF cells using salt as a guide star.— Courtney Crowder, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In the fall, the adults would find rotten crescents in the harvest.— Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
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As of Thursday night, the film had a rotten 33 percent critics’ score on Rotten tomatoes.— Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Along the way there are medical emergencies, a drug trip, a private jet to a private Hot Chip concert somewhere mountainous and snowy, some unpleasant business with a dog, heartfelt conversations and existential crises.— Robert Lloyd, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
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The spandex-blend material is ultra-stretchy, and there’s no unpleasant digging or pinching courtesy of the zipper- and button-free design.— Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/bad. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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