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bad

bad

1.0
Not working properly or in poor condition
  • adjective
  • /bæd/
translation icon : defectuoso
  • The doctor warned her that her recent symptoms were a sign of bad health.
  • in bad health

And you see a lot of climbers have bad posture like this.

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Examples

  • Well, I've got a bad back just like you, Brett.

  • But my mum's mental health was bad at the time, really bad.

  • All right, so first question, can bad sleep kill?

  • Now I know this looks bad, but we'll fix it.

  • Why is this game so bad at running in full screen?

  • This is a bad idea.

  • The United States' position in the world today is not nearly as bad as some claim.

    Academic text (2008)
  • The roads were that bad.

  • For example, it seems safe to say that most adults would recognize a bad orchestra concert.

    Academic text (1999)
  • The furnishings that came with the apartment weren't as bad as they might have been.

    Fiction book (1990)

Synonyms

terrible
vsbad
1.0

Very bad or unpleasant and often serious

is a general term covering faults, illness, or poor condition without extreme intensity
crappy
vsbad
  • NSFW
176 7.5

Very bad or of low quality

also applies to illness, damage, or serious failure beyond poor quality
96 6.1

Not working properly or doing its job

also includes physical illness or structural damage causing poor condition
faulty
vsbad
61 3.5

Not working correctly because a part is broken or wrong

covers all poor health, damage, or functional failure
defective
vsbad
57 3.9

Having a fault that makes something not work properly

is broader, covering poor condition, illness, or general malfunction
unfit
vsbad
13 3.0

Not healthy in body or mind

refers also to objects or systems that fail or are damaged
junky
vsbad
  • Informal
9 4.8

Poor quality and likely to break quickly

includes health and functioning issues, not only low quality construction
inoperable
vsbad
7 7.1

You cannot use it because it does not work

may include lesser problems like damage, illness, or partial failure
unsound
vsbad
3 5.4

Physically damaged or unhealthy

covers malfunction and general poor health beyond structural unsafety
poorish
vsbad
  • Informal
4.6

Not very good in quality or condition

can indicate severe damage, disease, or complete malfunction rather than mild shortfall

Antonyms

695 1.0

In good body and mind condition without sickness or injury

81 3.2

Working correctly so it can be used

Idioms

too bad
  • Informal
643 3.3

Saying that something is unfortunate or disappointing

not bad
  • Informal
134 3.0

Better than expected and quite good

my bad
  • Informal
47 8.4

A short casual phrase to admit you made a mistake

17 6.0

Very sick or having serious money problems

not half bad
  • Informal
14 7.4

Better than you expected

Make someone or something look bad to other people

An unpleasant feeling of dislike after an experience

To keep spending money on something that is already failing

bad penny
  • Informal
2 7.7

Something unwanted that keeps coming back

on bad terms
  • Informal
1 3.6

Not friendly with someone because of a disagreement

Put someone into a difficult situation they cannot control because of bad luck

1 7.9

To put someone into a bad or difficult situation because of bad luck

A time when someone has trouble

9.9

When people use bad money, they keep better money and it disappears

in bad odor
  • Archaic
9.3

Not liked or trusted by other people after doing something wrong

Speak badly about someone or something to other people

Compounds

515 1.0

Unpleasant information that makes you feel sad or upset

bad guy
  • Informal
415 3.0

A person who goes against others or causes harm

246 2.3

A choice or plan that will probably cause problems

166 1.0

Unlucky events that happen by chance

bad boy
  • Informal
108 6.1

A man who breaks rules and seems exciting but causes trouble

bad person
  • Offensive
104 1.6

A person who harms others on purpose or does wrong things

76 3.6

A sense that something bad may happen

54 2.4

A choice that is not good and causes problems later

46 1.0

Weather that makes being outside unpleasant, often with rain or strong wind

bad blood
  • Informal
28 4.8

A feeling of anger or dislike between people that often leads to hostility

26 2.5

A remark meant to make people laugh that is not funny or is rude

21 4.1

An unpleasant feeling that stays after something rude or upsetting

bad apple
  • Informal
16 4.4

A person in a group who causes trouble for others

14 3.4

A habit of getting angry easily and staying in a bad mood

bad check
  • Specialized
13 3.5

A check from an account without enough money that the bank does not pay

12 1.6

Rude behavior that breaks normal social rules

11 5.3

Dishonest or harmful actions by a company and its workers that damage trust

bad hair day
  • Informal
11 4.6

A day when someone's hair looks messy and they feel unhappy about it

9 6.5

A person who behaves badly and damages a group or its work

bad debt
  • Specialized
9 4.1

A debt that a person who borrowed money cannot or will not pay back

bad egg
  • Offensive
5 5.6

A person who cannot be trusted and may lie or steal

3 3.7

People who can make you behave badly or get into trouble

3 4.4

A record of past bad actions that makes people not trust a person or organization

2 3.7

A disappointing finish to a story, event, or experience

Big Bad Wolf
  • Literature
2 3.2

A wolf in children's stories who hurts or tricks people

2 3.9

Poor lighting that makes it hard to see

1 7.2

A treatment that is not helpful or is unpleasant but sometimes needed to make you better

big and bad
  • Informal
1 6.8

Very large and so strong that it scares or impresses people

1 5.4

A situation where people are not friendly and do not trust each other

1 4.6

A purchase or deal that leaves you worse off

bad hat
  • Offensive
1 8.3

A person who causes trouble on purpose or acts dishonestly

bad touch
  • Offensive
1 9.0

Unwanted physical contact that makes someone feel scared or uncomfortable

bad actor
  • Specialized
1 8.1

A software tool that attacks or steals data from a computer system

1 3.3

Not polite when you are with other people

bad fairy
  • Literature
1 7.4

A fairy who wants to harm people or cause trouble

1 6.8

A dry area of eroded rock with few plants in western South Dakota and Nebraska

bad block
  • Specialized
7.7

A part of a disk where data cannot be read or written because it is damaged

bad block
  • Specialized
7.5

A block in a blockchain that the network computers do not accept because it breaks the rules

bad boy image
  • Informal
6.3

An attractive look of not following rules, often in men

bad looker
  • Offensive
8.4

A person who many people think is not good looking

7.9

A time when a team or person keeps getting bad results

the bad place
  • Informal
8.7

A place believed to be for punishment after death or a very bad situation

How Defective

unusable
16 2.3
broken
31 1.0
defective
57 3.9
bad
1.0
faulty
36 3.5
imperfect
73 3.5

Surface Forms

bad positive
worse comparative
worst superlative

Etymology

Bad started out meaning 'not good', so people used it for objects that do not work as they should. That is why bad can mean 'defective' or 'not working properly'.