bad
- 01 A1 Beginner
adj.not good in quality, or not what you wanted.
adj.of poor quality, inadequate, or failing to meet a required standard.
Simple“The weather was really bad yesterday, so we stayed inside all day.”
In context“The company's reputation suffered after a series of bad reviews highlighted the inconsistent quality of their customer service.”
UsageCommonly used as a predicative adjective after linking verbs.
PitfallI feel badly about the mistake. I feel bad about the mistake.Use 'bad' after linking verbs like 'feel', 'look', or 'seem' to describe your state of mind or health.
Synonyms - 02 A1 Beginner
adj.used to describe a person or animal that does not follow the rules.
adj.behaving in a disobedient, mischievous, or socially unacceptable manner.
Simple“The teacher told the student that his behavior in class was bad.”
In context“The puppy was being bad again, chewing on the expensive leather sofa while its owners were in the other room.”
Teacher's tipOften used by parents or teachers when speaking to children.
SynonymsAntonymsgoodwell behaved - 03 A2 Elementary
adj.something that can hurt your health or cause problems.
adj.having a deleterious effect on health, well-being, or safety.
Simple“Eating too much sugar is bad for your teeth.”
In context“Prolonged exposure to blue light from screens late at night is considered bad for maintaining a healthy sleep cycle.”
UsageOften followed by the preposition 'for'.
Antonyms - 04 B1 Intermediate
adj.food that is no longer safe to eat.
adj.referring to food that has decayed or perished and is no longer fit for consumption.
Simple“Don't drink that milk; it smells like it has gone bad.”
In context“The entire shipment of produce went bad because the refrigeration system failed during the long journey across the border.”
UsageCommonly used with the verb 'go' (e.g., 'the milk went bad').
- 05 C1 Advanced
adj.very good, stylish, or impressive.
adj.denoting excellence, stylishness, or impressive toughness; a case of semantic inversion.
Simple“That new car he bought is so bad.”
In context“In the eighties, 'bad' became a popular slang term to describe something that was actually incredibly impressive or fashionable.”
Teacher's tipThis is a classic example of 'reclaimed' or 'inverted' slang where a negative word is used positively.
- 06 B1 Intermediate
n.a way to say you made a mistake.
n.an admission of a mistake or fault, typically used in the phrase 'my bad'.
Simple“I forgot to bring your book back today—my bad.”
In context“When the waiter realized he had brought the wrong order to the table, he simply shrugged and said, 'My bad.'”
UsageAlmost exclusively used in the fixed expression 'my bad'.
Teacher's tipTell students this is a very casual way to apologize for small errors, but not for serious offenses.
- 07 C2 Proficiency
n.something that people do not want and would pay to get rid of.
n.an item or service that has negative utility to the consumer.
Simple“Pollution is an example of an economic bad.”
In context“Economists distinguish between 'goods' that increase utility and 'bads', such as household waste or industrial pollution, which individuals pay to avoid.”
UsageUsed as a countable or uncountable noun in economic theory.
Teacher's tipThis is a highly specialized term; students will likely only see it in academic economic texts.
Antonyms - 08 B2 Upper Intermediate
adv.very much or very strongly.
adv.used as an intensifier to mean 'to a great degree' or 'badly'.
Simple“I want to go on vacation so bad.”
In context“After working twelve hours straight without a break, he needed a glass of water really bad.”
UsageUsually follows verbs like 'want' or 'need'.
Teacher's tipIn formal writing, students should use 'badly' instead of 'bad' as an adverb.
Usage bad luck · bad news · bad decisions
From Middle English bad, badde (“wicked, evil, depraved”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps a shortening of Old English bæddel (“hermaphrodite”) (for loss of -el compare Middle English muche from Old English myċel, and Middle English wenche from Old English wenċel), or at least related to it and/or to bǣ̆dan (“to defile”), compare Old High German pad (“hermaphrodite”). Alternatively, perhaps a loan from Old Norse into Middle English, compare Norwegian bad (“effort, trouble, fear”, neuter noun), East Danish bad (“damage, destruction, fight”, neuter noun), from the Proto-Germanic noun badą, whence also Proto-Germanic badōną (“to frighten”), Old Saxon undarbadōn (“to frighten”), Norwegian Nynorsk bada (“to weigh down, press”); ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰedʰ- (“to bend, press, push, oppress”).
From Middle English bad, from Old English bæd, first- and third-person singular indicative past tense of biddan (“to ask”).
Unknown.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.