Bad
/bæd/
adjectiveBeginnerVery CommonGeneral
Idiom
Meanings
Questions
Definitions
2 meanings1
Not good; of poor quality, substandard, or unpleasant.
/bæd/
adjectivenegativeBeginner
General
Of poor quality or low standard.
That's a bad idea.
💡 Simply: Not good
More Examples
2
The weather was bad.
How It's Used
General
"The food was bad."
Medical
"He had a bad cough."
2
Something unpleasant or undesirable.
/bæd/
nounnegativeBeginner
General
Something that is harmful or undesirable.
He got into a bad accident.
💡 Simply: Something unpleasant
More Examples
2
It's a bad thing.
How It's Used
Informal
"That was a bad day."
Tip:Think of a 'bad' experience as something you wouldn't want to repeat.
Idioms & expressions
go bad
To spoil or decay (food).
"The milk went bad."
From Old English *bædd, meaning 'evil, wicked'.
The word 'bad' has been used to describe negative qualities since Old English times.
Memory tip
Think of something 'bad' as being below average or undesirable.
Practice
badebadd
Usage
85%Spoken
70%Written