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adj

bad

bad
adj
1
Of low quality, unpleasant, or unsatisfactory.
"The food at that restaurant was surprisingly bad."
"It was a bad day from start to finish."
2
Morally wrong or wicked.
"The villain in the story was truly bad, with no redeeming qualities."
3
Not functioning correctly, spoiled, or faulty.
"Throw out the milk — it's gone bad."
4
Severe or serious in degree.
"She has a bad headache today."
5
Informally, excellent, impressive, or admirably tough (a slang meaning that flips the usual sense).
"That guitar solo was bad, in the best possible way."

How to Use Bad

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe opposite of good — low quality, unpleasant, wrong, or broken — though slang usage can flip this to mean impressively cool.

Common mistake

Don't confuse the comparative/superlative forms: "bad" becomes "worse" and "worst," not "badder" and "baddest" (except in playful slang).

Common pairings
bad news go bad not bad bad idea

Word Forms

worse comparative, badder comparative, more bad comparative, badder comparative, more bad comparative, worse comparative, badded past tense, bads plural, bads singular, worst superlative, baddest superlative, most bad superlative, baddest superlative, most bad superlative, worst superlative

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The food at that restaurant was surprisingly _____.

Etymology

From Middle English bad, badde, of uncertain and much-debated origin — possibly linked to an Old English word for a hermaphrodite, or borrowed from a similar Old Norse word meaning trouble or damage.

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Rhymes for bad

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Definitions: FreeDict original editorial