bad
1
[ bad ]
/ bæd /
adjective, worse, worst; (Slang) bad·der, bad·dest for 36.
noun
adverb Informal.
badly: He wanted it bad enough to steal it.
Idioms for bad
Origin of bad
1
1250–1300; Middle English
badde, perhaps akin to Old English
bæddel hermaphrodite,
bædling womanish man
synonym study for bad
2.
Bad,
evil,
ill,
wicked are closest in meaning in reference to that which is lacking in moral qualities or is actually vicious and reprehensible.
Bad is the broadest and simplest term:
a bad man; bad habits.
Evil applies to that which violates or leads to the violation of moral law:
evil practices.
Ill now appears mainly in certain fixed expressions, with a milder implication than that in evil:
ill will; ill-natured.
Wicked implies willful and determined doing of what is very wrong:
a wicked plan.
usage note for bad
The adjective
bad meaning “unpleasant, unattractive, unfavorable, spoiled, etc.,” is the usual form to follow such copulative verbs as
sound, smell, look, and
taste: After the rainstorm the water tasted bad. The coach says the locker room smells bad. After the copulative verb
feel, the adjective
badly in reference to physical or emotional states is also used and is standard, although
bad is more common in formal writing:
I feel bad from overeating. She felt badly about her friend's misfortune.
When the adverbial use is required, badly is standard with all verbs: She reacted badly to the criticism. Bad as an adverb appears mainly in informal contexts: I didn't do too bad on the tests. He wants money so bad it hurts. See also badly, good.
When the adverbial use is required, badly is standard with all verbs: She reacted badly to the criticism. Bad as an adverb appears mainly in informal contexts: I didn't do too bad on the tests. He wants money so bad it hurts. See also badly, good.
OTHER WORDS FROM bad
bad·ness, nounWords nearby bad
baculiform,
baculine,
baculite,
baculum,
bacău,
bad,
bad actor,
bad apple,
bad bank,
bad blood,
bad breath
British Dictionary definitions for go bad (1 of 2)
bad
1
/ (bæd) /
adjective worse or worst
noun
adverb
not standard
badly
to want something bad
Derived forms of bad
baddish, adjective badness, nounWord Origin for bad
C13: probably from
bæd-, as the first element of Old English
bǣddel hermaphrodite,
bǣdling sodomite
British Dictionary definitions for go bad (2 of 2)
Idioms and Phrases with go bad (1 of 2)
go bad
Spoil, decay; also, turn to crime. For example, You can tell from the smell that this milk has gone bad, or If he keeps running around with that street gang, he's sure to go bad. [Late 1800s]
Idioms and Phrases with go bad (2 of 2)
bad