bad

BAD/bæd/

31 meanings of bad

1
unpleasantadjective
Not nice or not good to have or go through, like bad news or a bad day.
We got some bad news about Grandpa today.
Things look bad for our team at halftime.
UsageSay worse and worst (not ~~incorrect: more bad~~). Not bad means quite good.
Similarunpleasant, terrible, awful, rough
Oppositegood, great
2
poor qualityadjective
Not good enough in quality, not working properly, or full of mistakes.
Like a toy that breaks the first time you play with it.
The hotel served really bad food that nobody finished.
These shoes were so bad they fell apart in a week.
Similarpoor, inferior, shoddy, faulty, substandard
Oppositegood, excellent, fine
3
adjectivechildish
Cruel or evil, choosing to do wrong on purpose.
The story's bad king locked up anyone who disagreed.
Only a bad person would hurt someone weaker.
UsageEvil and wicked are stronger words for this.
Similarevil, wicked, vile, immoral, vicious
Oppositegood, virtuous, moral, righteous
Note
4
unhealthyadjective
Likely to harm your health or hurt you in some way.
Like rust slowly eating away at a piece of metal.
Too much sugar is bad for your teeth.
Smoking is bad for your lungs.
UsageSay bad for: sugar is bad for your teeth.
Similarharmful, unhealthy, damaging, detrimental, hurtful
Oppositegood, healthy, beneficial, wholesome
5
adjective
Not right or not suitable for the situation, like a bad time to call or bad manners.
Monday morning is a bad time to ask the boss for a favor.
In many places, pointing at strangers is considered bad manners.
UsageSay a bad time to ask, or bad form for rude behavior.
Similarpoor, inappropriate, improper
Oppositegood, proper, appropriate
6
not good atadjective
Not good at doing something, and lacking skill.
I'm really bad at drawing animals.
He's a bad cook and burns almost everything.
UsageSay bad at something: I'm bad at drawing.
Similarincompetent, clumsy, inept, unskilled, amateurish
Oppositegood, skilled, competent, able
7
guiltyadjective
Feeling sorry or guilty about something you did.
I feel bad about forgetting your birthday.
She felt bad for shouting at her sister.
UsageSay I feel bad about forgetting your birthday.
Similarguilty, sorry, ashamed, remorseful, regretful
8
naughtyadjectivechildish
Behaving in a way that breaks rules or upsets others.
The bad puppy chewed up both slippers.
Stop being bad and listen to your teacher.
Similarnaughty, disobedient, mischievous, unruly, wayward
Oppositegood, obedient, well-behaved
9
adverbcolloquialemphaticintensifier
Very much, or a lot.
She wanted to win so bad it hurt.
My tooth hurt bad all through the night.
UsagePeople say I want it so bad. In formal writing, use badly.
Similardesperately, terribly, really, severely
Note
10
noununcountable
A harmful or evil thing.
You have to take the bad with the good.
He has seen a lot of bad in his life.
UsageSay the good and the bad.
Similarevil, harm, wrong
Oppositegood
Note
11
no fundsadjective
Not real or not good for payment, like fake money, a check that bounces, or a debt never paid.
The store lost money when a customer paid with a bad check.
His paycheck turned out to be bad and bounced at the bank.
UsageCommon phrases are write a bad check and receive a bad check.
Similarworthless, counterfeit
Oppositegood

Less common meanings

12
adjective
No longer fresh or safe to eat after going rotten.
Like bread that grows green spots after sitting too long.
The milk went bad and smelled terrible.
Throw out that bad fruit before it attracts flies.
UsageSay the milk went bad.
Similarrotten, spoiled
Oppositefresh, good
13
my mistakenounslanguncountable
A mistake, used after words like my or your.
Oops, I sent you the wrong file. My bad!
You forgot the tickets? That's your bad, not mine.
UsageSay My bad! for a small mistake, but not in serious apologies.
Similarmistake, fault
Note
14
naughtyinterjection
Said to a child or pet to show that it is doing something wrong.
Bad! Put that down right now!
No, bad! Leave the cat alone.
UsageSay it alone and sharply: No! Bad!
Similarno
Oppositegood
Note
15
impressiveadjectiveslang
Really good, cool, or impressive.
Like calling something 'cool' when you really mean it is great.
That's a bad car, man. I want one just like it.
Those boots are bad! Where'd you get them?
UsageSay badder and baddest here. Use it only in casual talk.
Similarexcellent, awesome, great, fantastic, cool
Oppositelame, terrible, awful
Note
16
ailingadjective
Sick or not well, or looking sick or tired.
She's been feeling bad with a fever for three days.
After the surgery he was still very bad and could barely sit up.
UsageIn a bad way means very ill.
Similarill, sick, unwell, poorly
Oppositewell, healthy
Note
17
weak body partadjective
Hurt, sick, or weak, said of a part of your body, like a bad knee or a bad back.
She favors her bad knee whenever she climbs the stairs.
He can't carry much with his bad arm.
Similarinjured, sore, weak, gammy
Oppositegood, healthy
18
adjective
Very strong or serious, used about a need, a wish, or a pain.
She had a bad pain in her side all night.
The old farmhouse is in bad need of a new roof before winter.
UsageSay in bad need of rest or a new roof.
Similarurgent, severe, dire, acute, pressing
Oppositemild, slight
Note
19
adverbcolloquial
In a way that is not good or done well.
He sings pretty bad, but he loves doing it.
The team played bad in the first half of the game.
UsageIn writing, use badly: she did badly on the test.
Similarpoorly
Oppositewell
20
toughadjectiveslang
Bold, brave, and tough.
Nobody picks on him, because he's a bad dude who isn't scared of anyone.
She's one bad fighter who never backs down.
UsageSay badder and baddest here, like the baddest rider.
Similarbold, daring, fearless, courageous, gutsy
Oppositetimid, cowardly, meek
Note
21
smellyadjective
Having a strong, unpleasant smell.
Like the smell of food that has been left out too long.
The fish smelled bad after sitting out all day.
A bad smell came from the trash can in the corner.
UsageSay it smells bad, and bad breath.
Similarsmelly, foul-smelling, stinky, malodorous, fetid
Oppositefragrant, sweet, pleasant
22
offensiveadjective
Rude, dirty, or offensive in language.
The teacher scolded him for using bad words in class.
Her movie was full of bad language.
UsageSay bad words or bad language for swearing.
Similarfoul, obscene, vulgar, crude, dirty
Oppositeclean
23
attractiveadjectiveslang
Very good-looking and attractive.
Her new boyfriend is so bad that all her friends are jealous.
When she walked in, her friends shouted, "Girl, you look so bad tonight!"
Similarhot, sexy, gorgeous, fine
Oppositeunattractive, ugly
Note
24
adjectiveslangsarcastic
Used to make fun of people who hate something they do not really understand.
His whole point was just nuclear power bad, nothing more.
The thread was all vaccines bad with no real reasons given.
UsagePut it after a noun with no verb: taxes bad. It mocks other people.
Note
25
adjective
Not worth the money, time, or effort.
Buying that old car was a bad deal.
The hotel was bad value: we paid a lot for a tiny, noisy room.
Similarpoor, unwise, unprofitable
Oppositegood, worthwhile, profitable, wise
26
adjective
Feeling sorry for someone who is having a hard time, usually in "feel bad for someone."
I feel bad for Sam because his dog is sick.
We all felt bad for the team after they lost in the last minute.
UsageUse for before the person: I feel bad for Sam. About can introduce the trouble: I feel bad about his accident.
Similarsorry
27
adjectiveslangUS
Willing to have sex with many people.
28
adjectiveslang
Attractive because they do not follow the rules.
29
nounslang
Something people do not want and would pay to get rid of.
30
verbarchaic
An older way of saying bade, as in "she bad them goodbye."
31
verbdialectalBritish
To strip the green outer husk from a walnut.

Practice

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Origin

From Middle English bad, meaning wicked or evil. Its exact origin is not known.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

The adjective bad comes from Middle English bad. en.wiktionary.org
Middle English bad meant wicked or evil. en.wiktionary.org
The adjective's exact origin is unknown. en.wiktionary.org