Alternatives to "bad"

Harsher words for when "bad" feels too mild.

20 words

1. poor adj. /ˈpuɹ/

a common word used to describe someone with very little money, something of low quality, or someone you feel sorry for.
2. terrible adj. /ˈtɛɹəbəɫ/

a common word used to describe something very bad, unpleasant, or serious.
3. awful adj. /ˈɑfəɫ/

a common word used to describe something very bad or unpleasant; it can also mean 'very' when used as an adverb in casual speech.
4. dreadful adj. /ˈdɹɛdfəɫ/

a word used to describe something very bad, unpleasant, or shocking; it can also mean 'very' when used with other words.
5. horrible adj. /ˈhɔɹəbəɫ/

a common word for something very unpleasant, bad, or shocking.
6. atrocious adj. /əˈtɹoʊʃəs/

extremely bad, unpleasant, or of very poor quality. You use this to describe something that is shocking or terrible.
7. appalling n. /əˈpɔɫɪŋ/

shocking or extremely bad. You use this word when something is so poor that it makes you feel angry or disappointed.
8. deplorable adj. /dɪˈpɫɔɹəbəɫ/

very bad and shocking. You use this to describe behavior or conditions that are so poor they deserve to be criticized.
9. dismal adj. /ˈdɪzməɫ/

very bad, sad, or without hope. You use it to describe things like terrible weather, a poor performance, or a gloomy mood.
10. dire adj. /ˈdaɪɝ/

a word used to describe something very serious, urgent, or extremely bad in quality.
11. Grim adj. /ˈɡɹɪm/

very serious, dark, or unpleasant. You use it to describe a situation that looks hopeless or something that is gross and disgusting.
12. wretched adj. /ˈɹɛtʃɪd/

feeling very unhappy, sick, or unlucky. It can also describe something of very poor quality that makes you feel annoyed.
13. mediocre adj. /ˌmidiˈoʊkɝ/

a word used to describe something that is not very good, but not terrible either — it is just average and often disappointing.
14. inferior adj. /ˌɪnˈfɪɹiɝ/

a word used to describe something that is lower in quality or rank, or a person who has a lower position in an organisation.
15. inadequate adj. /ˌɪˈnædəˌkweɪt/

a word used when something is not good enough or there is not enough of it; it also describes a person who feels they lack the skills to handle a situation.
16. deficient adj. /dɪˈfɪʃənt/

not having enough of something that is necessary, like a vitamin or a specific skill.
17. defective adj. /dɪˈfɛktɪv/

a word used to describe something that is broken, not working correctly, or — in grammar — a word that is missing some of its usual forms.
18. faulty adj. /ˈfɔɫti/

used to describe something that is not working correctly because it has a mistake or a broken part.
19. unpleasant adj. /ənˈpɫɛzənt/

not nice or enjoyable. You use it to describe things that make you feel uncomfortable, unhappy, or slightly annoyed.
20. disappointing adj. /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnɪŋ/

something that is not as good as you hoped or expected.