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bad1 definition

bad (bad)

adjective worse, worst

    1. not good; not as it should be a bad attitude, a bad deal
    2. defective in quality; below standard; inadequate bad plumbing
  2. showing a lack of talent, judgment, aptitude, skill, etc. a bad painting, a bad writer
  3. not pleasant; unfavorable; disagreeable bad news
  4. rotten; spoiled a bad apple
  5. incorrect; faulty; erroneous bad spelling
    1. wicked; immoral
    2. not behaving properly; mischievous
  7. causing injury; harmful bad for one's health
  8. severe a bad storm
  9. ill; in poor health
  10. sorry; distressed he feels bad about it
  11. offensive; disgusting a bad smell
  12. unpaid and not collectible a bad debt
  13. Law defective; not valid; void a bad title
  14. badder bad′·der, baddest bad′·dest☆ Slang very good, stylish, effective, etc.

Etymology: ME bad, badde < ? OE bæddel, hermaphrodite

adverb worse, worst

Informal badly

noun

  1. anything that is bad; bad quality or state
  2. wickedness

Related Forms:

bad Idioms

go to the bad

Informal to become wicked, shiftless, etc.; degenerate

in bad

☆ Informal
  1. in trouble
  2. in disfavor

not bad

Informal good; fairly good; not unsatisfactory
also not half bad or not so bad

the bad

those who are wicked
bad2 definition

bad (bad)

transitive verb, intransitive verb

  1. Archaic bid
  2. Obsolete bide

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms bad idiom

bad Synonyms

bad

modif.

  1. Wicked

    immoral, evil, wrong, corrupt; see wicked 1, 2.

  2. Spoiled

    rotten, rancid, decayed, putrid; see rotten 1, 2.

  3. Below standard

    defective, inferior, inadequate; see faulty, poor 2, unsatisfactory.

  4. In poor health

    ill, diseased, ailing; see sick.

  5. Injurious

    hurtful, damaging, detrimental; see harmful.

  6. Not pleasant or opportune

    unfavorable, disagreeable, adverse, unfortunate; see unfavorable 2.

  7. Sorry

    regretful, contrite, distressed, dejected; see sad 1, sorry 1.

  8. Severe

    severe, serious, grave, critical; see acute 2, dangerous 1.

  9. Not behaving properly

    naughty, disobedient, mischievous; see naughty.

  10. *Very good

    stylish, effective, sharp; see excellent, fashionable. See syn. study at wicked.

bad, in this comparison, is the broadest term, ranging in implication from merely unsatisfactory to utterly depraved; evil and wicked connote willful violation of a moral code, but evil often has ominous or malevolent implications an evil hour, and wicked is sometimes weakened in a playful way to mean merely mischievous wicked wit; ill, which is slightly weaker than evil in its implications of immorality, is now used chiefly in certain idiomatic phrases ill-gotten gains; naughty today implies mere mischievousness or disobedience a naughty child

in a bad way*

dangerously ill, in critical condition, in serious trouble; see dying 1, sick, in trouble 1 at trouble.

in bad*

in difficulty, in disfavor, unwelcome; see in trouble 1 at trouble.

not bad*

all right, pretty good, good, passable; see excellent, fair 2.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

bad Usage Examples

Preposition: at

  • math: He was at school and he was probably very bad at math and history and everything else.

Modifies a noun

  • luck: Bad luck for Martha, then, who has to stand out in the cold all night.

Used with adjective complement

  • feel: I felt really bad for her, " he said, stealing a sad glance at Mimi.

Modifying Another Word

  • too: Too bad we never get to see him go medieval on the boards.

Preposition: for

  • democracy: The result was bad for politics and bad for democracy.
bad usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

bad quotes

   America, thou half-brother of the world; With something good and bad of every land.

-Bailey, PhilipJames

She was not really bad at heart, But only rather rude and wild; She was an aggravating child.

-Belloc, (Joseph) Hilaire Pierre

Where everything is bad it must be good to know the worst.

-Bradley, Francis Herbert

bad quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"bad." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/bad>

APA Style

bad. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/bad

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