- bad
- 1
adjective
comparative worse, worst
1 HARMFUL unpleasant, harmful, or likely to cause problems: I have some bad news for you. | I thought things couldn't possibly get any worse. | It's bad enough being woken by the baby without you keeping me awake as well.-opposite good 1 (2)2 LOW QUALITY low in quality or below an acceptable standard: The failure of the company was due to bad management. | Your handwriting is so bad I can hardly read it. | bad teachers and a lack of funds-opposite good 1 (1)3 WRONG morally wrong or evil: He's a bad man - keep away from him.-opposite good 1 (23)4 SERIOUS serious or severe: He is recovering from a bad accident. | The pain was really bad.5 bad time/moment etc a time at which it is very unlucky for something to have happened: It's a bad time to have to borrow money, with interest rates so high.6 bad for you harmful to you or to your health: Too much salt can be bad for you. | It is bad for a young girl to be on her own so much.7 FOOD food that is bad is not safe to eat because it has decayed: This fish has gone bad. | bad apples8 bad at maths/tennis/drawing etc having no skill or ability in a particular activity: I'm really bad at chess. | Strategic thinking is what so many companies are bad at.9 bad heart/leg/back etc a heart, leg etc that is injured or does not work correctly: I haven't been able to do much because of my bad back. | Ouch, that was my bad foot!10 SWEARING bad language contains swearing or rude words: all these TV programmes with their violence and bad language11 in a bad temper/mood feeling annoyed or angry: I didn't mean to take my bad temper out on you.12 GUILTY feel bad to feel ashamed or sorry about something: I felt bad about not being able to come last night.13 go from bad to worse to become even more unpleasant or difficult: The evening went from bad to worse as more and more people left the party.14 be in a bad way informal especially BrE to be very ill, unhappy, injured, or in serious trouble: She was in a bad way after the funeral.15 get a bad name to lose people's respect or trust(+ for): The bar had a bad name and was avoided by all the locals.16 bad egg/lot/sort/type BrE old-fashioned someone who is morally bad or cannot be trusted17 bad penny someone or something that causes trouble and is difficult to avoid: turn up like a bad penny (=suddenly appear): Sure enough, Steve turned up at the party, like a bad penny.18 be taken bad informal especially BrE to become ill: He was taken bad in the middle of the night.19 in bad faith if someone does something in bad faith they are behaving dishonestly and have no intention of keeping a promise: In order to sue, you have to prove that the company was acting in bad faith.20 bad news informal someone or something that always causes trouble: Look, just avoid him, I warn you. He's bad news!21 bad form BrE old-fashioned socially unacceptable behaviour: It's bad form to argue with the umpire.22 bad blood angry or bitter feeling between people; hostility: There's too much bad blood between them.23 not bad especially BrE used to say that something is good, or better than you expected: "How are you?" "Oh, not bad." | That's not a bad idea. | "Did you enjoy the course?" "Oh it wasn't too bad."24 too bada) used to say that you do not care that something bad happens to someone: "I'm going to be late now!" "Too bad, you should have gotten up earlier."b) used to say that you are sorry that something bad has happened to someone: It's too bad that you couldn't come to the party last night.c) BrE old-fashioned used to say that something is very annoying or unreasonable: They can't increase the price like that, it's just too bad!25 bad girl/boy used when a child behaves badly: Bad girl! Put that glass down!26 it's not that bad/it's not as bad as all that used to say that something is not as bad as someone says it is: "Yuk! This cheese is revolting!" "Oh, come on, it's not as bad as all that."27 not too bad/not so bad used to say that something is not as bad as expected: The exams weren't so bad after all.28 it's bad enough..... used to say that you already have one problem, so that you cannot worry about or deal with another one: It's bad enough having to bring up three kids on your own without having to worry about money as well!29 sth can't be bad used to persuade someone that something is good or worth doing: You only pay $10 deposit and no interest: that can't be bad, can it?-see also: make the best of a bad job job (18) - badness noun (U) 2 noun1 take the bad with the good accept not only the good things in life but also the bad things2 to the bad informal if you are a particular amount to the bad you are that much poorer or you owe that much: Thanks to your mistake, I'm $500 to the bad!3 go to the bad old-fashioned to begin living in a wrong or immoral way
Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.
