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bad

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adjective American English pronunciation: bad /bæd/ 
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adjectivebad
comparativeworse
superlativeworst
Other entries for this word
 
  1. 1
    not pleasant or enjoyable

    The weather was really bad – it rained all week.

    She was feeling stressed after a bad day at work.

    I'm afraid I have some bad news for you.

    a bad dream

    For people living alone, Christmas is often the worst time of the year.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of bad
  2. 2
    likely to cause major problems

    a bad accident/mistake/case of the flu

    Police used tear gas, but that just made the situation worse.

    It was the worst scandal of the Clinton presidency.

    go from bad to worse:

    In the second half of the game, things went from bad to worse.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of bad
    1. a.
      likely to harm your health or your body

      a bad diet

      bad for:

      Too much salt can be bad for your heart.

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of bad
    2. b.
      likely to damage your success or people's opinion of you

      The show got a really bad review in the Sunday paper.

      Worried about bad publicity, the drug companies agreed to reduce their prices.

      bad for:

      They are trying to develop tourism, but high crime rates are bad for business.

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of bad
  3. 3
    of very low quality

    one of this year's worst movies

    bad management/workmanship

    The show was so bad they took it off after two episodes.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of bad
    1. a.
      not at all skillful

      a bad driver/teacher

      bad at (doing) something:

      I'm really bad at remembering people's names.

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of bad
  4. 4
    not appropriate or convenient

    a bad decision

    You've been given bad advice.

    I can come back later if this is a bad time for you.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of bad
    1. a.
      not fair, acceptable, or reasonable

      a bad way to treat your customers

      It's bad that you have to wait so long for an appointment.

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of bad
  5. 5
    used about a part of your body that is causing you pain or is not working well

    a bad back/leg/stomach

    You shouldn't try these exercises if you have a bad heart.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of bad
  7. 7
    no longer fresh or good to eat or drink

    This milk smells bad.

    go bad:

    It will go bad if you don't put it in the refrigerator.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of bad
  8. 8
    comparative badder
    superlative baddest
    spoken good. This word is used mainly by young people.
    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of bad

phrases

This is the American English definition of bad. View British English definition of bad.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to British English.

View the pronunciation for bad.

 

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