bad
A1Neutral to Informal. The positive informal sense ('impressive') is slang.
Definition
Meaning
Not good; of low quality or poor standard.
Can refer to moral deficiency, unpleasantness, incorrectness, or in informal use, something impressive (e.g., 'bad to the bone').
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
A highly versatile adjective with a core negative sense and a specific, context-dependent positive sense in informal speech. Its meaning is heavily dependent on collocates and context.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical. 'Not bad' is a common understatement in both. The positive slang sense ('impressive/cool') originated in African-American Vernacular English and is widely understood, though perhaps slightly more prevalent in AmE.
Connotations
Identical core connotations. The informal 'wicked/cool' sense is equally informal in both varieties.
Frequency
Extremely high frequency in both dialects with no significant divergence.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
be + bad + at + (gerund/noun)be + bad + for + nounfeel + bad + about + noun/gerundit's + bad + that/to-infinitiveVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “bad blood”
- “go from bad to worse”
- “in bad faith”
- “a bad apple”
- “not half bad”
- “too bad”
- “take the bad with the good”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"The company posted bad results for the quarter." (negative financial performance)
Academic
"The study was dismissed due to bad methodology." (flawed, unscientific)
Everyday
"I've had a bad headache all day." / "That's not a bad idea!"
Technical
In computing: 'bad sector' (a damaged area on a storage disk).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- To 'bad' is not a standard verb.
American English
- (Rare, slang) To criticise or treat poorly, e.g., 'Stop bad-mouthing your colleagues.'
adverb
British English
- (Non-standard/Informal) 'The car was beat up bad.' (Standard: 'badly')
American English
- (Non-standard/Informal) 'I need it real bad.' (Standard: 'badly')
adjective
British English
- This milk has gone bad.
- It was a bad show, poorly reviewed.
American English
- He's a bad driver.
- That's a bad idea, don't do it.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The weather is bad today.
- My English is bad.
- This apple is bad.
- He felt bad about forgetting her birthday.
- Too much sugar is bad for your teeth.
- It's a bad time to travel.
- The project was plagued by bad management from the start.
- There's no bad blood between them despite the competition.
- His argument was based on bad faith.
- The policy had the unintended consequence of exacerbating the very problem it aimed to solve—a classic case of bad law.
- She delivered the bad news with remarkable tact and empathy.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
BAD has a sad 'a' sound – when things are BAD, you feel SAD.
Conceptual Metaphor
BAD IS DOWN/SPOILED (e.g., 'a bad egg', 'his mood went downhill', 'the deal went sour').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation for 'feel bad' as physical sickness; use 'feel ill/sick'. 'Feel bad' is usually emotional guilt or sadness. 'Not bad' does NOT mean 'хорошо'; it means 'quite good/acceptable'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'bad' as an adverb (e.g., 'He sings bad.' -> 'He sings badly.'). Confusing 'feel bad' (emotion) with 'feel badly' (impaired sense of touch).
Practice
Quiz
Which of these uses 'bad' in its informal, positive sense?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Typically, no. 'Feel bad' is correct for emotional or physical states. 'Feel badly' suggests an impaired sense of touch.
It's an English understatement. It doesn't mean 'not bad' as neutral; it means 'quite good' or 'better than expected.'
Yes, but only in very specific, informal contexts (slang), often relating to being impressively tough or cool, e.g., 'He's a bad dude.' This is highly context-dependent.
They are often interchangeable ('bad/poor quality'). However, 'poor' is more formal and often relates to lack or deficiency ('poor in nutrients'), while 'bad' is broader and more colloquial for negative judgment.
Collections
Part of a collection
Basic Adjectives
A1 · 46 words · Fundamental describing words used every day.