bad Meaning & Definition
What Does Bad Mean?
Bad is an adjective that means failing to reach an acceptable standard. It can also mean unfavorable. As a noun, it means something that is bad. As an adverb, it means badly.
Bad in Brief
| Part of speech | adjective, noun, adverb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbad/ |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | intense, atrocious and deplorable |
| Antonyms | good, goodness and acceptable |
| Plural | bads |
| Comparative / superlative | worse, worst |
Bad Definition (Adjective)
- failing to reach an acceptable standard : poor
a bad repair job
- unfavorable
make a bad impression
- not fresh : spoiled
bad fish
- not sound : dilapidated
The house was in bad condition.
- morally objectionable : evil
bad men
- mischievous, disobedient
a bad dog
- inadequate or unsuited to a purpose
a bad plan that failed / bad lighting
- disagreeable, unpleasant
bad news
- injurious, harmful
a bad influence
- serious, severe
in bad trouble / a bad cough
- incorrect, faulty
bad grammar
- suffering pain or distress
felt generally bad
- unhealthy, diseased
bad teeth
- sorrowful, sorry
feels bad about forgetting to call
- invalid, void
a bad check
- not able to be collected
a bad debt
- good, great
… the baddest singer out there …
- tough, mean
the baddest guy on the block
Bad as a Noun
- something that is bad
There's more good than bad in him. / Take the good with the bad.
- an evil or unhappy state
Things went from bad to worse.
- fault
the mistake was my bad
Bad as an Adverb
- badly
not doing so bad / doesn't want it bad enough
Adjective
- of more inferior quality, value, or condition
- more unfavorable, difficult, unpleasant, or painful
- more faulty, unsuitable, or incorrect
- less skillful or efficient
- bad, evil, or corrupt in a greater degree : more reprehensible
- being in poorer health : sicker
Adverb
- in a worse manner : to a worse extent or degree
- what is worse
Adjective
- most corrupt, bad, evil, or ill
his worst fault
- most unfavorable, difficult, unpleasant, or painful
the worst news / your worst enemy
- most unsuitable, faulty, unattractive, or ill-conceived
has the worst table manners
- least skillful or efficient
the worst person for the job
- most wanting in quality, value, or condition
the worst results
Adverb
- to the extreme degree of badness or inferiority
the worst dressed person
- to the greatest or highest degree
… groups who need the subsidies worst lose out …
Synonyms of Bad
Antonyms of Bad
Bad in a Sentence
That movie was really bad!
A bad guess.
This sentence has bad grammar!
He speaks bad German!
Hiring practice is very bad in this company.
The weather looks pretty bad right now.
You have very bad grades.
He is in a bad mood.
Do you think it is a bad idea to confront him directly?
It is bad manners to talk with your mouth full.
Lard is bad for you. Smoking is bad for you, too. Grapes are bad for dogs but not for humans.
Joe's in a bad way; he can't even get out of bed.
I went to the hospital to see how my grandfather was doing. Unfortunately, he's in a bad state.
I've had a bad back since the accident.
I accidentally put my weight on my bad leg and fell over.
Stop being bad, or you will get a spanking!
Divorce is usually a bad experience for everybody involved.
Be careful. There are bad people in the world.
I had a bad headlight.
These apples have gone bad.
Bad breath is not pleasant for anyone.
They were caught trying to pass bad coinage.
I'm pretty bad at speaking French.
He's a bad gardener; everything he tries to grow ends up dying.
I look really bad whenever I get less than seven hours of sleep.
I don't look bad in this dress, do I?
I have such bad skin!
He is in bad need of a haircut.
I feel so bad for betraying him!
Don't you dare speak to me with that bad language!
The expensive purse was a bad buy.
Bad device, could not connect.
He gave me a bad check.
He's the baddest guy in town!
Man, that new car you bought is bad!
You is bad, man!
Hopefully I can pull some bad bitches tonight.
That boy is the baddest!
She's the baddest girl!
I didn't do too bad in the last exam.
He is quite bad off now that both his parents lost their jobs.
The sacked quarterback was hurting bad. His back ached so bad that he had to lie down.
Please come back, baby. I miss you so bad!
Bad! You know you're not allowed in the kitchen after dinner.
Abducting children is bad for mothers.
He bade me come in.
She was bidden to the wedding.
a bad repair job
make a bad impression
bad fish
The house was in bad condition.
bad men
a bad dog
a bad plan that failed
bad lighting
bad news
a bad influence
in bad trouble
a bad cough
bad grammar
felt generally bad
bad teeth
feels bad about forgetting to call
a bad check
a bad debt
… the baddest singer out there …
the baddest guy on the block
There's more good than bad in him.
Take the good with the bad.
Things went from bad to worse.
the mistake was my bad
not doing so bad
doesn't want it bad enough
his worst fault
the worst news
your worst enemy
has the worst table manners
the worst person for the job
the worst results
the worst dressed person
… groups who need the subsidies worst lose out …
a bad first attempt at making meat loaf resulted in a soggy, inedible mess
stealing is just plain bad
sitting too close to the television is said to be bad for the eyes
the children were bad, so they didn't get dessert
hearing about the world's miseries always makes him feel bad
a bad video connection that is causing some picture loss
I think the milk has turned bad
the air in the damp basement had a very bad smell
bad shoes that fell apart within a week
I've been feeling bad all week with this cold
all known claims on the property were dismissed by the court as bad
with all of his tattoos and piercings, that skinhead looks like one really bad dude
you didn't do too bad on the treadmill test
there's bad and good in people of every race and nationality
a bad plan that failed / bad lighting
in bad trouble / a bad cough
There's more good than bad in him. / Take the good with the bad.
not doing so bad / doesn't want it bad enough
the worst news / your worst enemy
Word Forms & Grammar
worse
worst
bad·ness noun
bad
badder
baddest
badness
badnesses
worser
bads
ill
badly
illy
not bad
bad (comparative worse or (nonstandard) badder or (nonstandard) more bad, superlative worst or (nonstandard) baddest or (nonstandard) most bad)
bad (not comparable)
bad (comparative badder or more bad, superlative baddest or most bad)
bad (comparative worse, superlative worst)
bad (countable and uncountable, plural bads)
bad (third-person singular simple present bads, present participle badding, simple past and past participle badded)
Words That Rhyme With Bad
Origin of Bad
Origin 1: Middle English badde, bad, of obscure origin
Origin 2: Middle English badde, noun derivative of badde bad:1
Origin 3: adverbial derivative of bad:1
Origin 4: Middle English werse, worse, from Old English wiersa, wyrsa; akin to Old High German wirsiro worse
Origin 5: Middle English werste, worste, from Old English wierresta, wyrsta, superlative of the root of Old English wiersa worse
Origin 6: From Middle English bad, badde (“wicked, evil, depraved”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps a shortening of Old English bæddel (“hermaphrodite”) (for loss of -el compare Middle English muche from Old English myċel, and Middle English wenche from Old English wenċel), or at least related to it and/or to bǣ̆dan (“to defile”), compare Old High German pad (“hermaphrodite”).
Origin 7: Alternatively, perhaps a loan from Old Norse into Middle English, compare Norwegian bad (“effort, trouble, fear”, neuter noun), East Danish bad (“damage, destruction, fight”, neuter noun), from the Proto-Germanic noun *badą, whence also Proto-Germanic *badōną (“to frighten”), Old Saxon undarbadōn (“to frighten”), Norwegian Nynorsk bada (“to weigh down, press”); ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰedʰ- (“to bend, press, push, oppress”).[1] False cognate of Persian بد (bad).
Origin 8: From Middle English bad, from Old English bæd, first- and third-person singular indicative past tense of biddan (“to ask”).
Origin 9: Unknown.
First Known Use
13th century
15th century
1575
before 12th century
Pronouncing Bad
The standard pronunciation of bad is /ˈbad/, spoken in 1 syllable.
Quick Answers About Bad
Is bad an adjective or a noun?
Bad is mainly used as an adjective, but it can also be used as a noun and an adverb.
What is another word for bad?
You can replace bad with words such as intense, atrocious and deplorable. See the full list of bad synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of bad?
The opposite of bad can be expressed with words like good, goodness, acceptable and adequate.
What is the plural of bad?
The plural of bad is bads.
What are the comparative and superlative forms of bad?
The comparative form is worse and the superlative form is worst.