bad

adjective
UK: /bæd/
US: /bæd/

  1. Not good; of poor quality or a low standard.

    1. This milk smells bad. [ ] [ ]
    2. The weather was so bad that we stayed inside all day. [ ] [ ]

  2. Unpleasant or causing difficulties.

    1. I had a bad dream last night. [ ] [ ]
    2. He has a bad habit of interrupting people when they speak. [ ] [ ]

  3. Serious or severe.

    1. She had a bad accident but is recovering now. [ ] [ ]
    2. The company is in bad shape after losing several large contracts. [ ] [ ]

  4. Feeling ill or unwell.

    1. I feel bad today, so I'm staying home. [ ] [ ]
    2. She felt bad after eating too much cake at the party. [ ] [ ]

  5. Naughty or disobedient.

    1. He is a bad boy, always getting into trouble. [ ] [ ]
    2. The dog was being bad and chewed my favorite shoes. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

awful evil unpleasant terrible wicked poor nasty
bad adverb

  1. With skill; to a high or good standard (used to emphasize the negative).

    1. He wants that promotion real bad. [ ] [ ]
    2. She needs to see a doctor real bad after that accident. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "bad" in English means: Not good; of poor quality or a low standard., Unpleasant or causing difficulties., Serious or severe., Feeling ill or unwell., Naughty or disobedient..

The phonetic transcription of "bad" is /bæd/ in British English and /bæd/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "bad": awful, evil, unpleasant, terrible, wicked, poor, nasty.

Example usage of "bad": "This milk smells bad.". More examples on the page.