bad
Usage
What are other ways to say bad?
When describing things that are lacking in moral qualities or are actually vicious and reprehensible, bad is the broadest and simplest term: a bad man; bad habits. Evil applies to that which violates or leads to the violation of moral law: evil practices. Ill now appears mainly in certain fixed expressions, with a milder implication than that in evil: ill will; ill-natured. Wicked implies willful and determined doing of what is very wrong: a wicked plan.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"You should always tell your children you love them no matter what, when they're bad, when they're good," he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
“All it takes is a few people to say bad things or say things about JapanLA, things about me, that aren’t true, for it to just go crazy.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
And Minnesota isn’t the only team trying to capitalize on a lucrative quarterback contract gone bad.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
And because markets dislike uncertainty more than bad news, investors start pricing in the risk of further unexpected rule changes from the government.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026
Mutti said she felt bad about having to do it, but that needs must.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
And despite the situation in Russia seeming to get worse by the day, she said she still feels hopeful.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
In his letter, Burchett said homelessness has gotten worse during Bass’ tenure as mayor, particularly in Skid Row.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
She uses the clips not just to diagnose what went wrong, but to consider what could have gone worse in a real-life environment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
There are bigger, structural issues that make these events worse and which take much longer to resolve such as "housing in exposed areas, fragile water and sanitation systems, and a weak healthcare system", he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
Patients walked long distances to the outhouse and developed ulcers—oozing, open sores that become progressively worse if left untreated—on their feet.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Perlis’ portrait of the county at the height of the decade suggests a region that had escaped — or at least refused to look at — the worst of America’s turmoil.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
In the worst five weeks of the market’s response to Covid-19 in 2020, the Nasdaq-100 index fell 27.8%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Moreover, Muir cites research from strategists at Citadel Securities and Barclays showing that, on a seasonal basis, September and October are typically the worst months for risk-adjusted returns in the S&P 500.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026
A run of brighter-than-expected data has lifted hopes Germany is withstanding the worst of the Middle East war and subsequent soaring energy costs, and gradually emerging from a years-long stagnation.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
It was the dreams that hurt worst of all.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
Vocabulary lists containing bad
