Synonyms for bad

Synonyms for (noun) bad

Synonyms: bad, badness

Definition: that which is below standard or expectations as of ethics or decency

Usage: take the bad with the good

Similar words: quality

Definition: an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone

Usage: the quality of mercy is not strained--Shakespeare


Synonyms for (adj) bad

Synonyms: tough, bad

Definition: feeling physical discomfort or pain (`tough' is occasionally used colloquially for `bad')

Usage: my throat feels bad; she felt bad all over; he was feeling tough after a restless night

Similar words: uncomfortable

Definition: providing or experiencing physical discomfort

Usage: an uncomfortable chair; an uncomfortable day in the hot sun


Synonyms: bad, spoiled, spoilt

Definition: (of foodstuffs) not in an edible or usable condition

Usage: bad meat; a refrigerator full of spoilt food

Similar words: stale

Definition: lacking freshness, palatability, or showing deterioration from age

Usage: stale bread; the beer was stale


Synonyms: defective, bad

Definition: not working properly

Usage: a bad telephone connection; a defective appliance

Similar words: nonfunctional, malfunctioning

Definition: not performing or able to perform its regular function

Usage: a malfunctioning valve


Synonyms: forged, bad

Definition: reproduced fraudulently

Usage: like a bad penny...; a forged twenty dollar bill

Similar words: imitative, counterfeit

Definition: not genuine; imitating something superior

Usage: counterfeit emotion; counterfeit money; counterfeit works of art; a counterfeit prince


Synonyms: bad

Definition: having undesirable or negative qualities

Usage: a bad report card; his sloppy appearance made a bad impression; 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

Similar words: abominable, atrocious, awful, unspeakable, painful, terrible, dreadful

Definition: exceptionally bad or displeasing

Usage: atrocious taste; abominable workmanship; an awful voice; dreadful manners; a painful performance; terrible handwriting; an unspeakable odor came sweeping into the room


Similar words: corked, corky

Definition: (of wine) tainted in flavor by a cork containing excess tannin

Usage: a corked port


Similar words: deplorable, distressing, pitiful, lamentable, sorry, sad

Definition: bad; unfortunate

Usage: my finances were in a deplorable state; a lamentable decision; her clothes were in sad shape; a sorry state of affairs


Similar words: frightful, fearful

Definition: extremely distressing

Usage: fearful slum conditions; a frightful mistake


Similar words: hard, tough

Definition: unfortunate or hard to bear

Usage: had hard luck; a tough break


Similar words: hopeless

Definition: (informal to emphasize how bad it is) beyond hope of management or reform

Usage: she handed me a hopeless jumble of papers; he is a hopeless romantic


Similar words: horrid

Definition: exceedingly bad

Usage: when she was bad she was horrid


Similar words: icky, rotten, shitty, crappy, stinking, stinky, lousy

Definition: very bad

Usage: a lousy play; it's a stinking world


Similar words: ill

Definition: distressing

Usage: ill manners; of ill repute


Similar words: incompetent, unskilled

Definition: not doing a good job

Usage: incompetent at chess


Similar words: mediocre

Definition: poor to middling in quality

Usage: there have been good and mediocre and bad artists


Similar words: naughty

Definition: badly behaved

Usage: a naughty boy


Similar words: negative

Definition: having the quality of something harmful or unpleasant

Usage: ran a negative campaign; delinquents retarded by their negative outlook on life


Similar words: poor

Definition: unsatisfactory

Usage: a poor light for reading; poor morale; expectations were poor


Similar words: pretty

Definition: (used ironically) unexpectedly bad

Usage: a pretty mess; a pretty kettle of fish


Similar words: no-good, rubber

Definition: returned for lack of funds

Usage: a rubber check; a no-good check


Similar words: severe

Definition: very bad in degree or extent

Usage: a severe worldwide depression; the house suffered severe damage


Similar words: swingeing

Definition: severe; punishingly bad

Usage: swingeing taxation; swingeing damages awarded by the judge


Similar words: uncool

Definition: (spoken slang) unfashionable and boring


Similar words: unfavorable, unfavourable

Definition: not favorable

Usage: made an unfavorable impression; unfavorable reviews


Similar words: unsuitable

Definition: not conducive to good moral development

Usage: the movie is unsuitable for children


Synonyms: bad

Definition: characterized by wickedness or immorality

Usage: led a very bad life

Similar words: evil

Definition: morally bad or wrong

Usage: evil purposes; an evil influence; evil deeds


Synonyms: bad

Definition: capable of harming

Usage: bad air; smoking is bad for you

Similar words: harmful

Definition: causing or capable of causing harm

Usage: too much sun is harmful to the skin; harmful effects of smoking


Synonyms: bad, unsound, unfit

Definition: physically unsound or diseased

Usage: has a bad back; a bad heart; bad teeth; an unsound limb; unsound teeth

Similar words: unhealthy

Definition: not in or exhibiting good health in body or mind

Usage: unhealthy ulcers


Synonyms: bad, big

Definition: very intense

Usage: a bad headache; in a big rage; had a big (or bad) shock; a bad earthquake; a bad storm

Similar words: intense

Definition: possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree

Usage: intense heat; intense anxiety; intense desire; intense emotion; the skunk's intense acrid odor; intense pain; enemy fire was intense


Synonyms: high-risk, risky, speculative, bad

Definition: not financially safe or secure

Usage: a bad investment; high risk investments; anything that promises to pay too much can't help being risky; speculative business enterprises

Similar words: unsound

Definition: not sound financially

Usage: unsound banking practices


Synonyms: bad

Definition: nonstandard

Usage: so-called bad grammar

Similar words: nonstandard

Definition: not conforming to the language usage of a prestige group within a community

Usage: a nonstandard dialect is one used by uneducated speakers or socially disfavored groups; the common core of nonstandard words and phrases in folk speech- A.R.Dunlap


Synonyms: bad

Definition: below average in quality or performance

Usage: a bad chess player; a bad recital

Similar words: inferior

Definition: of low or inferior quality


Synonyms: bad, uncollectible

Definition: not capable of being collected

Usage: a bad (or uncollectible) debt

Similar words: invalid

Definition: having no cogency or legal force

Usage: invalid reasoning; an invalid driver's license


Visual thesaurus for bad