bad

bad

synonyms, antonyms, definitions, examples & translations of bad in English

English Online Dictionary. What means bad‎? What does bad mean?

Translingual

Symbol

bad

  1. (international standards) ISO 639-2 & ISO 639-5 language code for Banda languages.

English

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bæd/
  • (General Australian) IPA(key): /bæːd/
  • (New Zealand) IPA(key): /bɛd/
  • (Wales) IPA(key): /baːd/
  • (æ-tensing, New York City, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Baltimore) IPA(key): /bɛəd/
  • Rhymes: -æd
  • Homophone: bade (one pronunciation)

Etymology 1

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”).

Adjective

bad (comparative worse or (nonstandard) badder or (nonstandard) more bad, superlative worst or (nonstandard) baddest or (nonstandard) most bad)

  1. Unfavorable; negative; not good.
    Synonyms: unfavorable, negative; see also Thesaurus:bad
  2. Not suitable or fitting.
    Synonyms: inappropriate, unfit; see also Thesaurus:unsuitable
  3. Not appropriate, of manners etc.
  4. Unhealthy; liable to cause health problems.
    Synonyms: unhealthful, unwholesome; see also Thesaurus:harmful
  5. (chiefly applied to a person's state of health) Sickly, unhealthy, unwell.
    Synonyms: ill, poorly, sickly; see also Thesaurus:ill
  6. (often childish) Not behaving; behaving badly; misbehaving; mischievous or disobedient.
  7. Tricky; stressful; unpleasant.
    Synonyms: foul, loathsome; see also Thesaurus:unpleasant
  8. (sometimes childish) Evil; wicked.
    Synonyms: vile, vicious; see also Thesaurus:evil
  9. Faulty; not functional.
    Synonyms: inoperative; see also Thesaurus:out of order
  10. (of food) Spoiled, rotten, overripe.
    Synonyms: rotten; see also Thesaurus:rotten
  11. (of breath) Malodorous; foul.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:malodorous
  12. False; counterfeit; illegitimate.
    Synonyms: fake, spurious; see also Thesaurus:fake
  13. Unskilled; of limited ability; not good.
    Synonyms: bungling, inept; see also Thesaurus:unskilled
  14. Of poor physical appearance.
    Synonyms: repulsive, unsightly; see also Thesaurus:ugly
  15. (informal) Bold and daring.
    Synonyms: (slang) badass; see also Thesaurus:brave
  17. (slang) Good, superlative, excellent, cool.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:good
  18. (of a need, want, or pain) Severe, urgent.
    Synonyms: dire; see also Thesaurus:urgent
  19. (US, slang) Overly promiscuous, licentious.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:promiscuous
  20. (originally African-American Vernacular, slang, of a woman) Very attractive; hot, sexy.
  21. (slang, of a draft/check) Not covered by funds on account.
    Synonyms: rubber, hot
  22. (Internet slang, sarcastic) Used without a copula to mock people who oppose something without having any real understanding of it.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Derived terms
Translations
See also

Adverb

bad (comparative worse, superlative worst)

  1. (now colloquial) Badly; poorly.
  2. (intensifier) Badly; severely, extremely, passionately, eagerly.
Usage notes

When placed after the main verb, use of bad as an intensifier is often more accepted than badly. Compare:

 I bad need to eat.  I badly need to eat.
 I need bad to eat.  I need badly to eat.
 I need to eat bad.  I need to eat badly.

It is also common in certain set expressions, such as bad off, which may be perceived as an extended form of the adjective bad rather than the adverb bad ~ badly modifying the adjective off.

Translations

Noun

bad (plural bads)

  1. Something that is bad; a harm or evil.
  2. (slang, with possessive determiner) Error; mistake.
  3. (countable, uncountable, economics) An item (or kind of item) of merchandise with negative value; an unwanted good.
Translations

Interjection

bad

  1. Used to scold a misbehaving child or pet.
Translations

References

Etymology 2

From Middle English bad, from Old English bæd, first and third-person singular indicative past tense of biddan (“to ask”).

Verb

bad

  1. (archaic) alternative past of bid. See bade.

Etymology 3

Unknown.

Verb

bad (third-person singular simple present bads, present participle badding, simple past and past participle badded)

  1. (British, dialect, transitive) To shell (a walnut).
    • 1876, The Gloucester Journal, Oct. 7, 1876, reported in A. Gregory, “Gloucestershire Dialect,” Notes and Queries, 5th ser., 6, 148 (1876‑10‑28): 346
      A curious specimen of Gloucestershire dialect came out in an assault case heard by the Gloucester court magistrates on Saturday. One of the witnesses, speaking of what a girl was doing at the time the assault took place, said she was ‘badding’ walnuts in a pigstye. The word is peculiarly provincial: to ‘bad’ walnuts is to strip away the husk. The walnut, too, is often called a ‘bannut,’ and hence the old Gloucestershire phrase, ‘Come an’ bad the bannuts.’

Anagrams

  • ABD, ADB, Abd., BDA, D.B.A., DAB, DBA, abd., d/b/a, dab, dba

Afar

Etymology

From Proto-Cushitic. Cognates include Somali bád and Saho bad.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbad/ [ˈbʌd]
  • Hyphenation: bad

Noun

bád m (plural badoodá f)

  1. lake, sea, ocean

Declension

Derived terms

References

  • E. M. Parker, R. J. Hayward (1985) “bad”, in An Afar-English-French dictionary (with Grammatical Notes in English), University of London, →ISBN
  • Mohamed Hassan Kamil (2004) Parlons Afar: Langue et Culture, L'Hammartan, →ISBN, page 35

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch bad, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *baþą. The plural baddens was probably formed by analogy with beddens (“beds”). The expected form would have been *baaie, which is already the plural of baai (“bay”). Compare phonetically pad > paaie.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [bɑt]

Noun

bad (plural baddens, diminutive badjie)

  1. bath
  • baai

References

  • 2007. The UCLA Phonetics Lab Archive. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Department of Linguistics.

Danish

Etymology 1

From Old Norse bað, Proto-Germanic *baþą (“bath”), cognate with English bath and German Bad.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈb̥að]
  • Rhymes: -ad

Noun

bad n (singular definite badet, plural indefinite bade)

  1. bath, shower, swim
  2. bathroom
Inflection

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈb̥æˀð], [ˈb̥æðˀ]

Verb

bad

  1. past of bede

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈb̥æˀð], [ˈb̥æðˀ]

Verb

bad

  1. imperative of bade

Dutch

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bɑt/
  • Hyphenation: bad
  • Rhymes: -ɑt
  • Homophone: Bath

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch bat, from Old Dutch *bath, from Proto-West Germanic *baþ, from Proto-Germanic *baþą.

Noun

bad n (plural baden, diminutive badje n)

  1. bath (object)
  2. the act or process of bathing
  3. immersion
Derived terms
  • baden
Descendants
  • Afrikaans: bad
  • Negerhollands: bad, bat
  • →? Sranan Tongo: bat

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

bad

  1. singular past indicative of bidden

Gothic

Romanization

bad

  1. Romanization of 𐌱𐌰𐌳

Indonesian

Etymology

From Classical Persian باد (bād, “wind”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbat̚/

Noun

bad (first-person possessive badku, second-person possessive badmu, third-person possessive badnya)

  1. (archaic) wind
    Synonym: angin

Further reading

  • “bad” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Khasi

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /baːt/

Conjunction

bad

  1. and, with

Lushootseed

Noun

bad

  1. father

Maltese

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /baːt/

Verb

bad (imperfect jbid, past participle mibjud, verbal noun bidien)

  1. Alternative form of bied

Conjugation

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From Old Norse bað, from Proto-Germanic *baþą (“bath”).

Noun

bad n (definite singular badet, indefinite plural bad, definite plural bada or badene)

  1. a bath
    et varmt bad - a hot bath
  2. a bathroom (see also baderom)
Derived terms
  • blodbad
  • boblebad
  • bade

Etymology 2

Alternative forms

  • ba (of be)

Verb

bad

  1. imperative of bade
  2. simple past of be
  3. simple past of bede

References

  • “bad” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

From Old Norse bað.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bɑːd/

Noun

bad n (definite singular badet, indefinite plural bad, definite plural bada)

  1. a bath
    eit varmt bad - a hot bath
  2. a bathroom
Synonyms
  • (bathroom): baderom
Derived terms
  • blodbad
  • boblebad

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bɑː/

Verb

bad

  1. past of be

References

  • “bad” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old English

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bɑːd/

Etymology 1

From Proto-West Germanic *baidu, from Proto-Germanic *baidō.

Noun

bād f

  1. waiting; expectation
  2. something distrained; pledge, stake
Declension
Derived terms
  • *ābād
  • nīedbād
  • ābīdan
  • bīdan
Descendants
  • Middle English: bade, bode, baide
    • English: bode
    • Scots: bade, baid

Etymology 2

Verb

bād

  1. first/third-person singular preterite of bīdan

Old Irish

Alternative forms

  • bed

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bað/

Verb

bad

  1. inflection of is:
    1. third-person singular past subjunctive
    2. third-person singular/second-person plural imperative

Mutation

Palauan

Etymology

From Pre-Palauan *baðu, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *batu, from Proto-Austronesian *batu. Cognate with Kavalan btu,Tagalog bato, Malay batu, Maori whatu.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bað/

Noun

bad

  1. stone; rock

Anagrams

  • D.B.A., abd., dab, DBA, dba, DAB, d/b/a, Abd., ADB, BDA, ABD

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from German Bad.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbat/
  • Rhymes: -at
  • Syllabification: bad
  • Homophone: bat

Noun

bad m inan

  1. (dated) health resort (resort, such as a spa, providing services designed to improve people's health)
    Synonyms: kurort, uzdrowisko, zdrojowisko
    Hyponym: spa

Declension

Further reading

  • bad in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Salar

Etymology

Ultimately from Arabic بَطّ (baṭṭ).

Pronunciation

  • (Ili, Xinjiang, Xunhua, Qinghai) IPA(key): /pɑt/, /pɑd/

Noun

bad

  1. duck

References

  • Potanin, G.N. (1893) “пат”, in Тангутско-Тибетская окраина Китая и Центральная Монголия (in Russian), page 431
  • Yanchuk, Mikola Andriyovich (1893) “бад”, in Этнографическое ОбозрѢніе: Императорскаго Общества Любителей Естествознанія, Антропологіи и Этнографіи [Ethnographical Review: Imperial Society of Lovers of Natural History, Anthropology and Ethnography]‎[8] (in Russian), Moscow: Publication of the Ethnographic Department, page 13
  • Tenishev, Edhem (1976) “bad”, in Stroj salárskovo jazyká [Grammar of Salar], Moscow, page 439
  • 林莲云 [Lin Lianyun] (1985) “bad”, in 撒拉语简志 [A Brief History of Salar]‎[9], Beijing: 民族出版社: 琴書店, →OCLC, page 121
  • Yakup, Abdurishid (2002) “bad”, in An Ili Salar Vocabulary: Introduction and a Provisional Salar-English Lexicon‎[10], Tokyo: University of Tokyo, →ISBN, page 52
  • Ma, Chengjun, Han, Lianye, Ma, Weisheng (December 2010) “bad”, in 米娜瓦尔 艾比布拉 (Minavar Abibra), editor, 撒维汉词典 (Sāwéihàncídiǎn) [Salar-Uyghur-Chinese dictionary] (in Chinese), 1st edition, Beijing, →ISBN, page 30
  • 马伟 (Ma Wei), 朝克 (Chao Ke) (2016) “bad”, in 濒危语言——撒拉语研究 [Endangered Languages ​​- Salar Language Studies], 青海 (Qinghai): 国家社会科学基金项目 (National Social Science Foundation Project), page 264

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

Probably borrowed from Pictish [Term?]. Compare Breton bod (“cluster, bunch of grapes, thicket”).

Noun

bad m (genitive singular baid, plural badan)

  1. place, spot
  2. tuft, bunch
  3. flock, group
  4. thicket, clump (of trees)

Synonyms

  • (place): spot

Derived terms

  • anns a' bhad
  • reul-bhad

Somali

Noun

bad ?

  1. sea

Sumerian

Romanization

bad

  1. Romanization of 𒁁 (bad)

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish badh, from Old Norse bað, from Proto-Germanic *baþą, from the zero-grade of Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₁-.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bɑːd/
  • Rhymes: -ɑːd

Noun

bad n

  1. bathing
    Synonym: badande
  2. a bath (instance of bathing)
  3. a bath (place suitable for bathing, like a badplats or badhus)
  4. a bath (liquid for bathing in)

Declension

Derived terms

  • badbyxor
  • badhus
  • badkar
  • badlakan
  • badplats
  • badrum
  • badshorts
  • havsbad
  • kallbad
  • karbad
  • varmbad
  • vinterbad
  • ångbad
  • bada

Verb

bad

  1. past indicative of be
  2. past indicative of bedja

References

  • bad in Svensk ordbok (SO)
  • bad in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
  • bad in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Volapük

Noun

bad (nominative plural bads)

  1. evil, badness

Declension

See also

  • badik
  • badiko

Welsh

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /baːd/
  • Rhymes: -aːd

Etymology 1

From Old English bāt.

Noun

bad m (plural badau)

  1. boat
    Synonyms: cwch, llong
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Noun

bad f (uncountable)

  1. plague, pestilence
    Synonyms: pla, haint
Derived terms
  • y fad fawr (“the Great Plague”)

Mutation

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badly

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