Pronunciations (5)
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/bæd/
Pronunciation notes
- General-American
- Received-Pronunciation
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/bæːd/
Pronunciation notes
- Australia
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/bɛd/
Pronunciation notes
- New-Zealand
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/baːd/
Pronunciation notes
- Northumbria
- Wales
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/bɛəd/
Adjective
Of low quality.
- Examples
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The picture is bad quality.
That movie was really bad!
Inaccurate; incorrect
- Examples
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A bad guess.
This sentence has bad grammar!
More examples (1)
He speaks bad German!
Unfavorable; negative; not good.
- Synonyms
- Examples
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We heard bad news.
Hiring practice is very bad in this company.
The weather looks pretty bad right now.
More examples (3)
You have very bad grades.
He is in a bad mood.
He looked round the poor room, at the distempered walls, and the bad engravings in meretricious frames, the crinkly paper and wax flowers on the chiffonier; and he thought of a room like Father Bryan's, with panelling, with cut glass, with tulips in silver pots, such a room as he had hoped to have for his own.
Not suitable or fitting.
- Synonyms
- Examples
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Do you think it is a bad idea to confront him directly?
Not appropriate, of manners etc.
- Examples
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It is bad manners to talk with your mouth full.
More examples (1)
“[…] if you call my duds a ‘livery’ again there'll be trouble. It's bad enough to go around togged out like a life saver on a drill day, but I can stand that 'cause I'm paid for it. What I won't stand is to have them togs called a livery. […]”
Harmful, especially unhealthy; liable to cause health problems.
- Synonyms
- Examples
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Smoking is bad for your health.
Lard is bad for you. Smoking is bad for you, too. Grapes are bad for dogs but not for humans.
Sickly, unhealthy, unwell.
- Examples
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Joe's in a bad way; he can't even get out of bed.
I went to the hospital to see how my grandfather was doing. Unfortunately, he's in a bad state.
More examples (1)
I've had a bad back since the accident.
The injured or weak one of a pair of body parts, where the other one is healthy.
- Examples
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I accidentally put my weight on my bad leg and fell over.
Not behaving; behaving badly; misbehaving; mischievous or disobedient.
Usage- childish
- often
- Examples
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Stop being bad, or you will get a spanking!
I can tell that new kid at our daycare is trouble […] He's picking out his favorite corner to stand in when he's bad.
Tricky; stressful; unpleasant.
- Examples
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Divorce is usually a bad experience for everybody involved.
Evil; wicked.
Usage- childish
- sometimes
- Examples
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It is bad to hurt other people.
Be careful. There are bad people in the world.
Faulty; not functional.
- Synonyms
- Examples
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The car has a bad engine.
I had a bad headlight.
Spoiled, rotten, overripe.
Usage- of food
- Synonyms
- Examples
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The milk has gone bad.
These apples have gone bad.
Malodorous; foul.
Usage- of breath
- Examples
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Bad breath is not pleasant for anyone.
False; counterfeit; illegitimate.
- Examples
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They were caught trying to pass bad coinage.
Unskilled; of limited ability; not good.
- Examples
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I am bad at drawing.
I'm pretty bad at speaking French.
He's a bad gardener; everything he tries to grow ends up dying.
Of poor physical appearance.
- Examples
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I look really bad whenever I get less than seven hours of sleep.
I don't look bad in this dress, do I?
More examples (1)
I have such bad skin!
Severe, urgent.
Usage- of a need
- Synonyms
- Examples
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He is in bad need of a haircut.
Oh let me tell you that it / Hurts so bad / It makes me feel so sad / You make it hurt so bad / To see you again.
Regretful, guilty, or ashamed.
- Examples
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I feel so bad for betraying him!
Vulgar, obscene, or blasphemous.
Usage- of a word
- Examples
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Don't you dare speak to me with that bad language!
Not worth it.
- Examples
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The expensive purse was a bad buy.
Causing a problem rendering the current task impossible.
- Examples
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Bad device, could not connect.
Adjective
Not covered by funds on account.
Usage- Informal
- not-comparable
- of a draft/check
- Examples
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He gave me a bad check.
Adjective
Bold, daring, and tough.
Usage- Slang
- Synonyms
- Examples
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He's the baddest guy in town!
Good, superlative, excellent, cool.
Usage- Slang
- Examples
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Man, that new car you bought is bad!
You is bad, man!
More examples (2)
He's the big bad wolf in your neighborhood / not bad meaning bad, but bad meaning good
Man, that bitch was bad—it was the best piece of pussy that I ever had.
Overly promiscuous, licentious.
Usage- US usage
- Slang
- Examples
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You leave your girl around me; if she's bad she's gonna get stuck.
Very attractive; hot, sexy.
Usage- Slang
- of a woman
- Examples
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Hopefully I can pull some bad bitches tonight.
Attractive due to (one's) rebellious nature.
Usage- Slang
- in "bad boy"
- Examples
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That boy is the baddest!
She's the baddest girl!
Adverb
Badly; poorly.
Usage- Colloquial
- Slang
- Examples
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I didn't do too bad in the last exam.
He is quite bad off now that both his parents lost their jobs.
More examples (1)
The sacked quarterback was hurting bad. His back ached so bad that he had to lie down.
Badly; severely, extremely, passionately, eagerly.
Usage- emphatic
- intensifier
- Slang
- Examples
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Please come back, baby. I miss you so bad!
I want you / I want you so bad, it's driving me mad
Noun
Something that is bad; a harm or evil.
Usage- Countable
- Slang
- Uncountable
- Examples
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We idealize God as supergoodness in order to protect against a bad that we cannot unite with ourselves.
Error; mistake.
Usage- Countable
- Slang
- Uncountable
- with possessive determiner
- Examples
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"My bad, My bad!” Juwan yelled, scowling
More examples (2)
“Chico, you're late again.” I turned around and stared him in his beady eyes. “I missed my bus. My bad, Donald.” “Your bad? Your bad? What kind of English is that?
Teresa broke out in laughter. “Dang, I sound like I'm talking to my man.” “I tried your cell phone, but you didn't answer.” “I left it at home, Friday. My bad.” “Yeah, your bad.” I laughed. “Really, I'm sorry. It won't happen again.
An item (or kind of item) of merchandise with negative value; an unwanted good.
Usage- Countable
- Slang
- Uncountable
- Examples
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Imports are an economic good but exports an economic bad. Exports must be produced but are enjoyed by foreign consumers.
More examples (1)
An economic bad is anything that you would pay to get rid of. It is not so hard to think of examples of bads: pollution, garbage, and disease fit the description.
Interjection
Used to scold a misbehaving child or pet.
Usage- Slang
- Examples
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Bad! You know you're not allowed in the kitchen after dinner.
Verb
To shell (a walnut).
Usage- UK usage
- dialectal
- Slang
- Transitive
- Examples
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More examples (1)
A curious specimen of Gloucestershire dialect came out in an assault case heard by the Gloucester court magistrates on Saturday. One of the witnesses, speaking of what a girl was doing at the time the assault took place, said she was ‘badding’ walnuts in a pigstye. The word is peculiarly provincial: to ‘bad’ walnuts is to strip away the husk. The walnut, too, is often called a ‘bannut,’ and hence the old Gloucestershire phrase, ‘Come an’ bad the bannuts.’
Adjective
having undesirable or negative qualities
- Antonyms
- Examples
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a bad report card
his sloppy appearance made a bad impression
More examples (9)
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
serious or severe
- Synonyms
- Examples
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a bad headache
in a big rage
More examples (3)
had a big (or bad) shock
a bad earthquake
a bad storm
feeling physical discomfort or pain (‘tough’ is occasionally used colloquially for ‘bad’)
- Synonyms
- Examples
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my throat feels bad
she felt bad all over
More examples (1)
he was feeling tough after a restless night
(of foodstuffs) not in an edible or usable condition
- Examples
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bad meat
a refrigerator full of spoilt food
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
- Examples
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felt regretful over his vanished youth
regretful over mistakes she had made
More examples (1)
he felt bad about breaking the vase
not capable of being collected
- Synonyms
- Examples
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a bad (or uncollectible) debt
below average in quality or performance
- Examples
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a bad chess player
a bad recital
nonstandard
- Examples
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so-called bad grammar
not financially safe or secure
- Synonyms
- Examples
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a bad investment
high risk investments
More examples (2)
anything that promises to pay too much can't help being risky
speculative business enterprises
physically unsound or diseased
- Examples
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has a bad back
a bad heart
More examples (3)
bad teeth
an unsound limb
unsound teeth
capable of harming
- Examples
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bad air
smoking is bad for you
characterized by wickedness or immorality
- Examples
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led a very bad life
reproduced fraudulently
- Synonyms
- Examples
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like a bad penny …
a forged twenty dollar bill
not working properly
- Synonyms
- Examples
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a bad telephone connection
a defective appliance
Noun
that which is below standard or expectations as of ethics or decency
- Synonyms
- Antonyms
- Broader terms
- Examples
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take the bad with the good
Adverb
with great intensity (‘bad’ is a nonstandard variant for ‘badly’)
- Synonyms
- Examples
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the injury hurt badly
the buildings were badly shaken
More examples (2)
it hurts bad
we need water bad
very much; strongly
- Synonyms
- Examples
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I wanted it badly enough to work hard for it
the cables had sagged badly
More examples (2)
they were badly in need of help
he wants a bicycle so bad he can taste it