What is another word for bad?
Synonyms for bad
bædbad
This thesaurus page includes all potential synonyms, words with the same meaning and similar terms for the word bad.
English Synonyms and Antonyms
bad
Pernicious (Latin per, through, and neco, kill) signifies having the power of destroying or injuring, tending to hurt or kill. Pernicious is stronger than injurious; that which is injurious is capable of doing harm; that which is pernicious is likely to be destructive. Noxious (Latin noceo, hurt) is a stronger word than noisome, as referring to that which is injurious or destructive. Noisome now always denotes that which is extremely disagreeable or disgusting, especially to the sense of smell; as, the noisome stench proclaimed the presence of noxious gases.
Synonyms:
baneful, deadly, deleterious, destructive, detrimental, evil, foul, harmful, hurtful, injurious, insalubrious, mischievous, noisome, noxious, pernicious, perverting, pestiferous, pestilential, poisonous, ruinous, unhealthful, unwholesomeAntonyms:
advantageous, beneficent, beneficial, favorable, good, healthful, helpful, invigorating, life-giving, profitable, rejuvenating, salutary, serviceable, useful, wholesome
Princeton's WordNet
bad, badnessadjective
that which is below standard or expectations as of ethics or decency
"take the bad with the good"
Synonyms:
severity, mischievousness, severeness, naughtiness, badnessAntonyms:
goodness, good, redeeming(a), good enough, mild, peachy, valid, not bad(p), well behaved, fresh, swell, slap-up, well-behaved, echt, genuine, groovy, superior, goodish, bang-up, nifty, comfortable, solid, bully, harmless, hot, satisfactory, functioning, keen, superb, dandy, comfy, neat, great, standard, sound, received, healthy, smashing, cracking, corking, acceptablebadadjective
having undesirable or negative qualities
"a bad report card"; "his sloppy appearance made a bad impression"; "a bad little boy"; "clothes in bad shape"; "a bad cut"; "bad luck"; "the news was very bad"; "the reviews were bad"; "the pay is bad"; "it was a bad light for reading"; "the movie was a bad choice"
Synonyms:
spoilt, tough, speculative, unsound, sorry, uncollectible, regretful, forged, unfit, risky, defective, high-risk, spoiled, bigAntonyms:
good, goodness, hot, superior, smashing, harmless, healthy, solid, redeeming(a), mild, echt, slap-up, bully, corking, goodish, groovy, bang-up, well behaved, swell, comfortable, nifty, valid, neat, peachy, acceptable, received, great, cracking, genuine, well-behaved, standard, sound, fresh, good enough, keen, not bad(p), dandy, functioning, comfy, satisfactory, superbbad, bigadjective
very intense
"a bad headache"; "in a big rage"; "had a big (or bad) shock"; "a bad earthquake"; "a bad storm"
Synonyms:
bountiful, magnanimous, full-grown, speculative, prominent, big, vainglorious, cock-a-hoop, sorry, braggy, with child(p), giving, uncollectible, grownup, regretful, grown, large(p), enceinte, bounteous, tough, liberal, unfit, high-risk, self-aggrandizing, swelled, risky, bighearted, handsome, fully grown, braggart(a), large, expectant, heavy(a), unsound, spoilt, great(p), bragging(a), freehanded, spoiled, heavy(p), forged, big(a), self-aggrandising, boastful, openhanded, adult, defective, gravid, big(p), crowingAntonyms:
goodness, good, smashing, bang-up, well-behaved, solid, harmless, corking, not bad(p), good enough, redeeming(a), fresh, cracking, nifty, comfy, acceptable, bully, superb, superior, neat, hot, functioning, peachy, dandy, satisfactory, received, keen, sound, goodish, great, well behaved, valid, mild, healthy, echt, standard, groovy, genuine, swell, slap-up, comfortablebad, toughadjective
feeling physical discomfort or pain (`tough' is occasionally used colloquially for `bad')
"my throat feels bad"; "she felt bad all over"; "he was feeling tough after a restless night"
Synonyms:
knotty, big, regretful, spoiled, ruffianly, uncollectible, risky, speculative, rugged, toughened, problematic, baffling, elusive, hard, forged, defective, sturdy, sorry, tough, spoilt, unsound, high-risk, problematical, unfitAntonyms:
good, goodness, good enough, harmless, solid, hot, redeeming(a), groovy, received, smashing, well-behaved, superior, not bad(p), great, cracking, slap-up, functioning, bang-up, peachy, well behaved, sound, goodish, comfy, healthy, valid, standard, comfortable, satisfactory, superb, echt, neat, fresh, nifty, bully, keen, swell, dandy, genuine, acceptable, corking, mildbad, spoiled, spoiltadjective
(of foodstuffs) not in an edible or usable condition
"bad meat"; "a refrigerator full of spoilt food"
Synonyms:
spoilt, tough, speculative, unsound, sorry, uncollectible, regretful, forged, blighted, unfit, risky, defective, high-risk, spoiled, bigAntonyms:
goodness, good, comfortable, functioning, groovy, good enough, redeeming(a), sound, standard, echt, acceptable, great, superb, not bad(p), goodish, well behaved, mild, smashing, solid, neat, corking, harmless, keen, well-behaved, genuine, cracking, superior, slap-up, valid, dandy, peachy, comfy, swell, bully, satisfactory, fresh, healthy, hot, bang-up, received, niftyregretful, sorry, badadjective
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
"felt regretful over his vanished youth"; "regretful over mistakes she had made"; "he felt bad about breaking the vase"
Synonyms:
speculative, deplorable, big, no-account, dismal, dark, disconsolate, uncollectible, no-count, good-for-nothing, regretful, blue, tough, no-good, unfit, high-risk, grim, sad, risky, good-for-naught, lamentable, unsound, spoilt, distressing, spoiled, forged, sorry, pitiful, gloomy, drab, dingy, dreary, defective, drear, meritlessAntonyms:
goodness, good, superior, mild, valid, dandy, goodish, received, hot, redeeming(a), solid, neat, genuine, good enough, healthy, harmless, standard, bang-up, smashing, echt, satisfactory, functioning, slap-up, acceptable, fresh, nifty, comfy, sound, groovy, well-behaved, corking, not bad(p), superb, comfortable, peachy, swell, well behaved, bully, keen, great, crackingbad, uncollectibleadjective
not capable of being collected
"a bad (or uncollectible) debt"
Synonyms:
spoilt, tough, speculative, unsound, sorry, uncollectible, regretful, forged, unfit, risky, defective, high-risk, spoiled, bigAntonyms:
good, goodness, sound, echt, standard, swell, peachy, well behaved, acceptable, groovy, hot, bang-up, good enough, mild, neat, received, cracking, genuine, superb, bully, redeeming(a), fresh, comfy, satisfactory, functioning, smashing, dandy, not bad(p), keen, nifty, well-behaved, solid, great, valid, comfortable, goodish, superior, harmless, healthy, slap-up, corkingbadadjective
below average in quality or performance
"a bad chess player"; "a bad recital"
Synonyms:
spoilt, tough, speculative, unsound, sorry, uncollectible, regretful, forged, unfit, risky, defective, high-risk, spoiled, bigAntonyms:
good, goodness, well behaved, peachy, satisfactory, echt, well-behaved, healthy, not bad(p), solid, nifty, standard, neat, smashing, redeeming(a), corking, superior, groovy, genuine, keen, swell, hot, sound, slap-up, goodish, fresh, received, functioning, dandy, acceptable, valid, great, comfy, bang-up, mild, cracking, comfortable, harmless, bully, superb, good enoughbadadjective
nonstandard
"so-called bad grammar"
Synonyms:
spoilt, tough, speculative, unsound, sorry, uncollectible, regretful, forged, unfit, risky, defective, high-risk, spoiled, bigAntonyms:
goodness, good, good enough, healthy, slap-up, well behaved, solid, dandy, cracking, valid, goodish, smashing, comfy, groovy, swell, superb, satisfactory, peachy, neat, standard, genuine, keen, hot, bang-up, acceptable, great, bully, redeeming(a), not bad(p), echt, sound, mild, comfortable, superior, nifty, received, fresh, functioning, harmless, well-behaved, corkingbad, risky, high-risk, speculativeadjective
not financially safe or secure
"a bad investment"; "high risk investments"; "anything that promises to pay too much can't help being risky"; "speculative business enterprises"
Synonyms:
big, spoiled, uncollectible, risky, questioning, speculative, regretful, hazardous, forged, defective, inquisitive, sorry, tough, spoilt, unsound, wondering(a), high-risk, unfit, wild, notionalAntonyms:
goodness, good, keen, comfortable, mild, redeeming(a), fresh, swell, neat, not bad(p), genuine, goodish, echt, peachy, corking, hot, satisfactory, healthy, solid, well behaved, nifty, valid, superb, functioning, acceptable, superior, sound, slap-up, great, standard, bully, bang-up, groovy, comfy, dandy, harmless, good enough, well-behaved, smashing, cracking, receivedbad, unfit, unsoundadjective
physically unsound or diseased
"has a bad back"; "a bad heart"; "bad teeth"; "an unsound limb"; "unsound teeth"
Synonyms:
big, spoiled, uncollectible, risky, speculative, regretful, fallacious, forged, defective, mentally ill, sorry, tough, spoilt, unsound, unstable, high-risk, unfitAntonyms:
good, goodness, great, not bad(p), smashing, corking, functioning, groovy, mild, swell, comfortable, well-behaved, received, acceptable, peachy, superb, goodish, comfy, good enough, bully, fresh, bang-up, dandy, satisfactory, harmless, solid, genuine, valid, standard, well behaved, cracking, sound, hot, keen, slap-up, neat, superior, echt, nifty, healthy, redeeming(a)badadjective
capable of harming
"bad air"; "smoking is bad for you"
Synonyms:
spoilt, tough, speculative, unsound, sorry, uncollectible, regretful, forged, unfit, risky, defective, high-risk, spoiled, bigAntonyms:
goodness, good, sound, hot, solid, echt, mild, smashing, neat, slap-up, dandy, valid, redeeming(a), fresh, harmless, swell, peachy, comfortable, well behaved, genuine, keen, good enough, healthy, comfy, nifty, cracking, functioning, bully, standard, corking, superior, great, not bad(p), satisfactory, well-behaved, received, groovy, goodish, acceptable, bang-up, superbbadadjective
characterized by wickedness or immorality
"led a very bad life"
Synonyms:
spoilt, tough, speculative, unsound, sorry, uncollectible, regretful, forged, unfit, risky, defective, high-risk, spoiled, bigAntonyms:
good, goodness, acceptable, cracking, peachy, sound, harmless, received, valid, mild, groovy, corking, solid, swell, neat, standard, functioning, hot, dandy, comfy, keen, comfortable, superb, slap-up, bang-up, superior, fresh, bully, echt, good enough, smashing, healthy, not bad(p), well-behaved, satisfactory, nifty, goodish, well behaved, redeeming(a), genuine, greatbad, forgedadjective
reproduced fraudulently
"like a bad penny..."; "a forged twenty dollar bill"
Synonyms:
spoilt, tough, speculative, unsound, sorry, uncollectible, regretful, forged, unfit, risky, defective, high-risk, spoiled, bigAntonyms:
goodness, good, standard, great, cracking, well behaved, sound, dandy, echt, not bad(p), bully, hot, swell, healthy, smashing, slap-up, good enough, bang-up, valid, superior, acceptable, goodish, peachy, genuine, received, neat, satisfactory, well-behaved, nifty, corking, fresh, keen, redeeming(a), mild, comfortable, functioning, harmless, solid, groovy, superb, comfybad, defectiveadverb
not working properly
"a bad telephone connection"; "a defective appliance"
Synonyms:
spoilt, tough, speculative, unsound, sorry, uncollectible, regretful, forged, unfit, risky, defective, high-risk, faulty, spoiled, bigAntonyms:
goodness, good, well-behaved, sound, acceptable, groovy, bully, comfortable, nifty, bang-up, comfy, not bad(p), functioning, standard, valid, healthy, cracking, received, hot, dandy, well behaved, peachy, goodish, neat, harmless, solid, great, genuine, smashing, keen, superb, superior, corking, redeeming(a), echt, swell, satisfactory, mild, good enough, fresh, slap-upbadly, badadverb
with great intensity (`bad' is a nonstandard variant for `badly')
"the injury hurt badly"; "the buildings were badly shaken"; "it hurts bad"; "we need water bad"
Synonyms:
mischievously, badly, poorly, severely, disadvantageously, ill, gravely, naughtily, seriouslyAntonyms:
good, goodness, comfortable, goodish, well-behaved, bully, smashing, nifty, peachy, groovy, received, echt, neat, great, standard, redeeming(a), comfy, solid, functioning, well behaved, genuine, healthy, superb, corking, satisfactory, sound, bang-up, mild, slap-up, valid, hot, acceptable, superior, not bad(p), fresh, swell, harmless, dandy, keen, good enough, crackingbadly, badadverb
very much; strongly
"I wanted it badly enough to work hard for it"; "the cables had sagged badly"; "they were badly in need of help"; "he wants a bicycle so bad he can taste it"
Synonyms:
mischievously, badly, poorly, severely, disadvantageously, ill, gravely, naughtily, seriouslyAntonyms:
good, goodness, genuine, groovy, standard, dandy, nifty, comfortable, comfy, healthy, harmless, corking, cracking, goodish, well-behaved, acceptable, echt, received, good enough, slap-up, keen, bang-up, solid, not bad(p), smashing, satisfactory, fresh, neat, functioning, peachy, mild, great, well behaved, valid, superior, bully, redeeming(a), swell, hot, sound, superb
Matched Categories
Dictionary of English Synonymes
badadjective
Synonyms:
evil, ill, baneful, deleterious, pernicious, mischievous, noxious, hurtful, injurious, detrimental, unwholesomebadadjective
Synonyms:
wicked, depraved, abandoned, dishonest, unfair, disingenuous, rascally, villanousbadadjective
Synonyms:
untoward, unlucky, unfortunate, unwelcomebadadjective
Synonyms:
vile, wretched, sorry, mean, shabby, scurvy, abominablebadadjective
Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words
badadjective
Synonyms:
evil, wicked, immoral, iniquitous, arrant, corrupt, depraved, sinful, base, demoralized, sinister, licentious, unprincipled, abandoned, graceless, vicious, incorrigible, unscrupulous, miscreant, reprobate, disreputable, rascal, scoundrel, profligate, knavish, naughty, malevolent, malicious, unrighteous, degrading, dissolute, libertine, hardened, wanton, injurious, prejudicial, pernicious, detrimental, baneful, unwholesome, baleful, deleterious, mischievous, noisome, malign, malignant, noxious, unpropitious, disadvantageous, offensive, serious, grave, severe, mortal, defective, imperfect, incompetent, inferior, untoward, depressing, unwelcome, adverse, grievous, unfavorable, inauspicious, infertile, inarable, barren, unproductive, worthless, hard, heavy, serious, irreparable, egregious, nefarious, felonious, infamous, villainous, heinous, flagrant, atrocious, flagitious
PPDB, the paraphrase database
List of paraphrases for "bad":
wrong, poor, evil, poorly, badly, ill, uncollectible, negative, mala, incorrect, improper, naughty, terrible, ugly, nasty, adverse, inclement, lousy, hurt, wicked, faulty, adb, villain, malo, serious, harmful, non-performing, awful, dirty, unfavourable, mal, unhealthy, horrible, uncollectable, defective, schlechter, detrimental
Concise Medical Dictionary, by Joseph C Segen, MD
BAD
Synonyms:
BCL2-associated agonist of cell death, bcl2 antagonist of cell death2 BCL2L8, bcl2-L-82 BBC2, BCL2-antagonist of cell death protein, Bcl-2-binding component 6, BCL2-binding component 6, Bcl-2-like protein 8, BCL2-binding protein, Bcl-XL/Bcl-2-associated death promoter, BBC6, BCL-X/BCL-2 binding protein, Bcl2-L-8
Suggested Resources
BAD
What does BAD stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the BAD acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.
Words popularity by usage frequency
How to use bad in a sentence?
The fact of the matter is, I'm not beholden to banks. I supported the bankruptcy bill because I believe taking a very bad bill that was going to pass overwhelmingly and making it better made sense.
North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey:
When you're wrong, you're wrong, when you make a bad decision, don't care if you're behind the shield or a citizen on the street, you have to live with that decision.
She’s worried that’s what people are going to do is think that she’s a bad mom and that she allowed this to happen, she didn’t. She was working hard last night.
Encryption is a security tool we rely on everyday to stop criminals from draining our bank accounts, to shield our cars and airplanes from being taken over by malicious hacks, we deeply appreciate law enforcement's and the national security community’s work to protect us, but weakening encryption or creating backdoors to encrypted devices and data for use by the good guys would actually create vulnerabilities to be exploited by the bad guys.
I probably would have never moved to Nashville [ if it wasn't for my mom ], i called my mom and told her I was going to quit college and move to Nashville. It was a tough call because I was scared to death, because I knew how bad she wanted me to go to college and how much she wanted me to make a success of my life... and she said,' I'm surprised you haven't already.' When she told me that, it was a vote of confidence to sell everything I had and get on a greyhound bus and go to Nashville. You don't want to let your mom down.
Translations for bad
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- slegAfrikaans
- سَيّئArabic
- pis, xarab, bəd, yaman, bərbadAzerbaijani
- яман, насарBashkir
- дрэнны, кепскі, злыBelarusian
- зъл, лош, грешка, неподходящ, неприятенBulgarian
- খারাপBengali
- drouk, fallBreton
- mal, dolentCatalan, Valencian
- špatný, nepříjemný, vadný, podlý, zlýCzech
- зълъOld Church Slavonic, Church Slavonic, Old Bulgarian
- drwgWelsh
- dårlig, slem, slet, ond, ubehageligDanish
- schlecht, unangenehm, böse, schlimmGerman
- κακός, άσχημοςGreek
- grava, malbona, nefunkcia, malbonodoraEsperanto
- maloSpanish
- halbEstonian
- ناکارامد, گستاخ, ناشایست, بدبو, ناجور, بدPersian
- moka, paha, viallinen, huonotapainen, ikävä, kova, ilkeä, kielteinen, huono, ankara, pahanhajuinen, rikkinäinen, sopimaton, kelvotonFinnish
- illurFaroese
- mal, faute, fonceur, gaffe, mauvaise, mauvais, urgent, défectueux, fonceuse, méchantFrench
- dona, droch-, olcIrish
- olc, dona, drochScottish Gaelic
- vaiGuaraní
- גרוע, מרושעת, רַע, גרועה, רשע, מרושעHebrew
- ख़राब, बुराHindi
- rossz, kellemetlenHungarian
- վատ, չարArmenian
- malInterlingua
- buruk, jelek, jahatIndonesian
- malaIdo
- vondur, slæmur, illurIcelandic
- cattivo, brutto, difettoso, sbagliatoItalian
- 悪いJapanese
- ცუდიGeorgian
- жаманKazakh
- អាក្រក់Khmer
- 나쁜Korean
- nebaş, بهد, خهراپ, bed, xirabKurdish
- жаман, начарKyrgyz
- malusLatin
- ບໍ່ດີLao
- blogasLithuanian
- slikts, nepiemērots, ļauns, nelabsLatvian
- kinoMāori
- лошMacedonian
- мууMongolian
- वाईट, खराबMarathi
- rosak, buruk, busuk, jahatMalay
- ħażinMaltese
- ဆိုးBurmese
- kwaad, verkeerd, slecht, ongemanierd, ongepast, naar, onaangenaamDutch
- dårlig, i, stykker, gal, ubehagelig, ondNorwegian
- doo yáʼátʼéeh daNavajo, Navaho
- malOccitan
- złe, uszkodzony, nieświeży, zły, zła, wadliwy, kiepskiPolish
- بد, بدلاریPashto, Pushto
- enguiçado, errado, mau, quebrado, ruim, feio, malvado, desagradável, estragadoPortuguese
- nauschRomansh
- răuRomanian
- плохой, скверный, дурной, злой, нехороший, подлый, неподходящий, неприятный, поганыйRussian
- zao, непристојан, loš, slab, gadan, zločest, ružan, zlo, nepristojan, cлaб, zla, ружан, лошSerbo-Croatian
- නරකSinhala, Sinhalese
- zlýSlovak
- slàb, zèlSlovene
- i keq, e keqeAlbanian
- awon, goréngSundanese
- opassande, dålig, ful, ond, trasig, olämplig, sönderSwedish
- bozuSwahili
- ఇష్టములేని, చెడి పోయిన, తగని, క్రూరమైన, చెడ్డ, అత్యవసరము, నచ్చని, తెగింపు, పొరపాటు, పొసగనిTelugu
- бадTajik
- เลวThai
- bet, şum, pis, erbet, ýamanTurkmen
- mali, bastos, sira, masamaTagalog
- kötüTurkish
- яманTatar
- злий, кепський, поганийUkrainian
- برا, خرابUrdu
- yomonUzbek
- 醜, xấu, dởVietnamese
- badikVolapük
- שלעכטYiddish
- 壞Chinese
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