INDEX:
1. bad films/books/methods/food etc
2. products that are badly made or of bad quality
3. not very bad, but not very good
4. bad events/experiences/weather etc
5. words for describing bad people or behaviour
6. a bad person
7. words for describing a bad child
8. bad in a clever way
9. having a bad way of life
10. bad or immoral behaviour
11. an extremely bad action
12. to influence someone in a bad way
13. a situation that you think is wrong or immoral
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ GOOD
bad at doing something : ↑ BAD AT DOING STH
bad condition : ↑ CONDITION
serious situation : ↑ SERIOUS
have a bad effect on something : ↑ HARM
to think something is bad or wrong : ↑ DISAPPROVE
looking or tasting very bad : ↑ HORRIBLE
when a situation is so bad that you cannot accept it : ↑ STAND
to accept a bad situation : ↑ STAND
see also
↑ WORSE
↑ CRUEL
↑ DISHONEST
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1. bad films/books/methods/food etc
▷ bad /bæd/ [adjective]
something that is bad is of a low standard, because it has been done badly, designed badly, performed badly etc :
▪ The movie was so bad that we left before it finished.
▪ It’s the worst book she’s ever written.
▪ Opponents of the plan say it is a bad way of managing city traffic.
▪ In the 1980s, their cars had a bad reputation for reliability.
▪ Their latest album is even worse than their last one.
▷ no good /nəʊ ˈgʊd/ spoken
not good at all :
▪ I wouldn’t go there - the food’s no good.
▪ I’ve tried that diet, and it’s no good.
▷ awful/terrible/appalling/lousy /ˈɔːf ə l, ˈterə̇b ə l, əˈpɔːlɪŋ, ˈlaʊzi/ [adjective]
very bad :
▪ That’s such an awful programme! How can you watch it?
▪ Your handwriting is appalling.
▪ The food was lousy and the service was terrible.
▷ dreadful /ˈdredf ə l/ [adjective] especially British
very bad :
▪ The coffee tasted dreadful!
▪ ‘How did you like the film?’ ‘I thought it was dreadful.’
▷ rubbish British informal /garbage especially American /ˈrʌbɪʃ, ˈgɑːʳbɪdʒ/ [uncountable noun]
use this to describe something you think is very bad :
▪ ‘What did you think of his speech?’ ‘I thought it was rubbish!’
▪ Most of the food in these fast food joints is garbage.
a load of rubbish/garbage
▪ I don’t know why you’re watching that film, it’s a load of old rubbish.
▪ I’ve never read such a load of garbage in my life.
▷ crap /kræp/ [uncountable noun] informal
use this to describe something you think is very bad -- some people think this word is offensive :
▪ There’s nothing but crap on television these days.
▪ The stereo’s great but the rest of the car is crap.
a load of crap
▪ Someone told me it was a really interesting museum, but I thought it was a load of crap.
▷ suck /sʌk/ [intransitive verb] especially American, informal
if you say that something sucks, you think it is very bad -- some people think this word is offensive :
▪ Let’s not go there -- the food sucks.
2. products that are badly made or of bad quality
▷ poor quality /ˌpʊəʳ ˈkwɒlə̇tiǁ-ˈkwɑː-/ [adjective/noun phrase]
poor quality products have been made badly :
▪ Poor quality housing often leads to health problems.
be of poor quality
▪ Investigators believe the bridge collapsed because the concrete was of poor quality.
▷ low-quality /ˌləʊ ˈkwɒlə̇tiǁ-ˈkwɑː-/ [adjective usually before noun]
low-quality products have been made badly :
▪ It’s not worth building with low-quality materials just to save money.
▪ The company wants to change its image as a producer of low-cost, low-quality clothes.
▷ badly made /ˌbædli ˈmeɪd◂/ [adjective]
made without care or skill :
▪ Her clothes looked cheap and badly made.
▷ cheap /tʃiːp/ [adjective]
cheap furniture, jewellery, clothes etc look unattractive and badly made, and seem to have been produced using low quality materials :
▪ The room was depressing, with dim light and cheap furniture.
▪ Hungry-looking men in cheap suits hung around the streets all day.
▷ shoddy /ˈʃɒdiǁˈʃɑː-/ [adjective]
badly and cheaply made, using low quality materials :
▪ You have a right to return any shoddy goods you might buy.
shoddily made
▪ Police officials blamed the deaths on the shoddily made apartment building.
▷ inferior /ɪnˈfɪ ə riəʳ/ [adjective]
inferior products are not as good as other similar ones because they have been cheaply and badly made :
▪ Consumers buy foreign goods because they believe that British-made goods are inferior.
▪ I want the best -- I don’t want some inferior model that’s going to break down the first time I use it.
3. not very bad, but not very good
▷ not very good /nɒt veri ˈgʊd/ [adjective phrase] especially spoken
not good - use this when you are disappointed because you were expecting something better :
▪ ‘What was the movie like?’ ‘It was OK but the ending wasn’t very good.’
▪ He’s been learning English for five years, but his pronunciation isn’t very good.
▷ mediocre /ˌmiːdiˈəʊkəʳ◂/ [adjective]
something that is mediocre is of a lower standard than it should be, and does not show much quality or skill :
▪ The team gave another mediocre performance last night.
▪ Tourists crowd the gift shops to buy mediocre products at high prices.
▷ nothing special /ˌnʌθɪŋ ˈspeʃ ə l/ [adjective phrase not before noun] spoken
not very bad, but not especially good :
▪ ‘Was the food good?’ ‘It was okay, but nothing special.’
▪ The town’s nice, but the beach is nothing special.
▷ all right/OK, but ... /ɔːl ˈraɪt, ˌəʊ ˈkeɪ bət/ spoken
say this when you think that something is good in some ways but there are some bad parts of it too :
▪ My grades were OK, but I thought I should have gotten an ‘A’ in chemistry.
▪ The game was all right, but it wasn’t worth what I paid to watch it.
▷ so-so /ˈsəʊ səʊ/ [adjective not before noun] informal
not very good, but not very bad either :
▪ ‘How is your meal?’ ‘So-so.’
▪ The hotel was in a lovely location, but the facilities were only so-so.
▷ second rate/third rate /ˌsekənd ˈreɪt◂, ˌθɜːʳd ˈreɪt◂/ [adjective usually before noun]
not as good as other things of the same kind :
▪ People are not willing to pay a lot of money for second-rate works of art.
▪ All they could afford was a room in a second-rate hotel about a mile from the beach.
▷ not be up to scratch /nɒt biː ʌp tə ˈskrætʃ/ [verb phrase] especially British
something that is not up to scratch, is not as good as it should be :
▪ The hotels and transport system in this city are not up to scratch at the moment.
▷ patchy /ˈpætʃi/ [adjective]
a performance, piece of work etc that is patchy is good in some parts, but bad in others and in general is not good :
▪ The film is patchy, despite one or two good performances.
▪ Many department stores reported patchy sales over Christmas.
▷ lacklustre British /lackluster American /ˈlækˌlʌstəʳ/ [adjective usually before noun]
lacklustre performance
not very bad, but not as good as was expected :
▪ The corporation’s profits increased dramatically this year, after a rather lacklustre performance last year.
4. bad events/experiences/weather etc
▷ bad /bæd/ [adjective]
not at all pleasant, enjoyable, or successful :
▪ If the weather’s bad, we could go to the museum instead.
▪ bad housing conditions
bad news
news of a bad event
▪ I’m afraid I have some bad news.
a bad day/year/time etc
when a lot of unpleasant things happen
▪ This was a very bad year for the banking industry.
▪ It had been a bad day, and I just wanted to go home.
▷ awful/terrible/dreadful /ˈɔːf ə l, ˈterə̇b ə l, ˈdredf ə l/ [adjective]
very bad :
▪ The weather has been terrible lately.
▪ Traffic in the downtown Boston area is awful.
▪ Conditions in the hospital were dreadful. The place was falling apart and it was understaffed.
▷ appalling/atrocious /əˈpɔːlɪŋ, əˈtrəʊʃəs/ [adjective]
so bad that you are shocked :
▪ Living conditions in the refugee camps were atrocious.
▪ The appalling weather continued, with harsh winds, fogs and heavy rain.
▷ horrendous /hɒˈrendəsǁhɑː-, hɔː-/ [adjective]
extremely bad, unpleasant, and often frightening :
▪ It was a horrendous storm.
▪ She is still recovering from a horrendous car accident.
▷ horrific /hɒˈrɪfɪkǁhɔː-, hɑː-/ [adjective]
extremely bad, especially in a way that is frightening or upsetting :
▪ It was a horrific experience. We really thought we were going to die.
▪ The race was stopped after a horrific accident in which two drivers were killed.
▷ be a nightmare /biː ə ˈnaɪtmeəʳ/ [verb phrase] spoken informal
use this to talk about an extremely bad experience or situation :
▪ The traffic coming in to work this morning was a nightmare.
▪ The President’s trip turned out to be a nightmare for his security staff.
be a complete nightmare
▪ Our vacation was a complete nightmare. The weather was awful and our hotel was worse.
5. words for describing bad people or behaviour
▷ bad /bæd/ [adjective]
use this about behaviour that is morally wrong, or about people who do things that are morally wrong :
▪ In most movies, the bad guy gets caught in the end.
▪ He had a bad influence on his younger brother.
▪ Is there any crime worse than murdering a child?
▪ It never occurred to Sally that the man had any bad intentions.
▷ immoral /ɪˈmɒrəlǁɪˈmɔː-/ [adjective]
use this about actions that you believe are morally wrong and unacceptable, even if they are not illegal :
▪ Many people think that testing cosmetics on animals is immoral.
▪ To spend £23 billion on nuclear weapons is immoral, and a terrible waste of money.
▪ Critics complain that the lyrics of the song encourage anti-social and immoral behavior.
▷ evil/wicked /ˈiːv ə l, ˈwɪkə̇d/ [adjective]
deliberately very bad and very cruel to other people :
▪ Police described the crime as wicked and inhuman.
▪ He was an evil man who felt no sympathy for his victims.
▷ no good /nəʊ ˈgʊd/ [adjective] informal
use this about someone who is not at all honest, helpful, or kind :
▪ That friend of yours is no good. I want you to stay away from her.
▪ My first husband was a no-good, low-down son-of-a-bitch.
▷ sinister /ˈsɪnɪstəʳ, ˈsɪnəstəʳ/ [adjective]
someone who is sinister looks bad or evil, so that other people are frightened of them :
▪ Her dark eyes and evil laugh made her seem sinister.
something sinister about somebody
▪ The man was dressed in a black suit and wore dark glasses. There was something sinister about him.
▷ twisted /ˈtwɪstɪd, ˈtwɪstəd/ [adjective]
behaving in an unusually cruel and shocking way, that is not at all normal :
▪ What kind of sick and twisted person would do such a thing?
▪ Whoever sent you these disgusting letters must be twisted.
▷ depraved /dɪˈpreɪvd/ [adjective]
completely evil and morally unacceptable :
▪ He was described as dangerous and depraved and a menace to society.
▪ The film is about a psychiatrist who helps the police capture a depraved serial killer.
▷ perverted /pəʳˈvɜːʳtɪd, pəʳˈvɜːʳtəd/ [adjective]
involving sexual behaviour or intentions that are considered immoral, unnatural, and harmful :
▪ The newspaper has described the killer as perverted and sexually deviant.
▪ They saw the affection she had for such an old man as unnatural and possibly perverted.
6. a bad person
▷ villain /ˈvɪlən/ [countable noun]
the bad person in a story, film, play etc, especially someone who breaks the law or who is cruel to others :
▪ At the end of the story, the villain is caught and punished.
▪ ‘Speed 2’ stars Willem Dafoe as the villain who takes over a luxury cruise ship.
▷ monster /ˈmɒnstəʳǁˈmɑːn-/ [countable noun]
someone who is so violent and dangerous that people think their behaviour is impossible to understand or forgive :
▪ A monster like that should not be allowed to live!
▪ He argued that unless these monsters were put in prison immediately, they would continue to terrorize the public.
▷ pervert /ˈpɜːʳvɜːʳt/ [countable noun]
someone who is thought to be bad or evil, especially because his sexual behaviour is unnatural or offensive :
▪ What are you, some kind of pervert?
▪ She took him to court, accusing him of being a pervert who was unfit to raise a child.
▷ sicko /ˈsɪkəʊ/ [countable noun] spoken informal especially American
someone who gets pleasure from things that most people think are upsetting, cruel, or unpleasant :
▪ What kind of sicko would write something like that?
7. words for describing a bad child
▷ naughty /ˈnɔːtiǁˈnɔːti, ˈnɑːti/ [adjective]
a child who is naughty behaves badly, for example by being rude or by doing things that are not allowed :
▪ We’ve been looking for you everywhere, you naughty boy!
▪ I don’t believe in hitting children, no matter how naughty they’ve been.
▷ badly behaved /ˌbædli bɪˈheɪvd◂/ [adjective phrase]
a badly behaved child behaves badly and causes a lot of trouble :
▪ Two or three badly behaved children are causing all the problems in the class.
▷ bad /bæd/ [adjective] spoken
used especially to speak angrily to a child who has done something bad :
▪ You’ve been a bad girl -- you know you’re not allowed in my room when I’m not there.
▷ mischievous /ˈmɪstʃɪvəs, ˈmɪstʃəvəs/ [adjective]
a child who is mischievous behaves badly, but in a way that makes people laugh rather than making them angry :
▪ She was a mischievous little girl who was always playing tricks on people.
mischievously [adverb]
▪ ‘It wasn’t me who broke the window,’ she replied, grinning mischievously.
▷ spoiled also spoilt British /spɔɪld, spɔɪlt/ [adjective]
children who are spoiled or spoilt behave badly because their parents always let them do what they want and have what they want :
▪ You’re a spoilt, ungrateful little girl!
▪ Those kids are definitely spoiled - they need to learn some manners.
▷ brat /bræt/ [countable noun] informal
a child that you do not like, who behaves badly and is rude :
▪ The school is full of rich brats.
spoiled/spoilt brat
a child who behaves badly because they have always been allowed to do whatever they want
▪ Should I tell him his kid is a spoiled brat?
8. bad in a clever way
▷ calculating /ˈkælkjɑleɪtɪŋ/ [adjective]
making careful and clever plans in order to get what you want, without caring about what happens to other people :
▪ She was a cold, calculating criminal.
▪ Over the years his experiences had turned him into someone who was both calculating and ruthless.
▷ scheming /ˈskiːmɪŋ/ [adjective only before noun]
always trying to cleverly control situations in order to get what you want, especially by deceiving other people :
▪ Blakemore was a cold, scheming man who could not be trusted.
▪ Collins is best-known as the scheming Alexis Colby from the television series, ‘Dynasty.’
9. having a bad way of life
▷ immoral /ɪˈmɒrəlǁɪˈmɔː-/ [adjective]
▪ My parents think my lifestyle is both dangerous and immoral.
▪ In many such stories, women are portrayed as untrustworthy and immoral.
▷ decadent /ˈdekəd ə nt/ [adjective]
a way of living that is decadent is concerned mainly with pleasure and enjoyment, and not with hard work or serious activities :
▪ We spent the whole summer drinking, smoking and lying around. It must sound totally decadent.
decadence [uncountable noun]
▪ The decadence of Berlin in the early 1930s had a definite charm.
▷ degenerate /dɪˈdʒen ə rɪt, dɪˈdʒen ə rət/ [adjective] formal
not keeping to many of society’s accepted moral standards -- use this especially about someone who behaves in a way that is sexually immoral :
▪ He was labelled a degenerate youth by his teachers, and left the town before he was 16.
10. bad or immoral behaviour
▷ immorality /ˌɪməˈrælɪti, ˌɪməˈræləti/ [uncountable noun]
bad or immoral behaviour, especially relating to sex :
▪ Chicago is a dangerous city and she felt surrounded by corruption and immorality.
▪ Religious leaders campaigned against immorality in the film and music industry.
▷ wrongdoing /ˈrɒŋˌduːɪŋǁˌrɔːŋˈduːɪŋ/ [uncountable noun]
bad or immoral behaviour, especially involving crimes or not being fair or just :
▪ The investigators found no evidence of wrongdoing and the company’s managers were cleared of all charges.
▷ misconduct /mɪsˈkɒndʌktǁ-ˈkɑːn-/ [uncountable noun] formal
bad behaviour by someone in a position of authority or trust, who is expected to behave according to the rules of their profession :
▪ The commission decided there was no evidence of misconduct.
professional misconduct
▪ At present, therapists cannot be found guilty of professional misconduct.
gross misconduct
very serious misconduct
▪ The police officer found guilty of being drunk on duty was dismissed for gross misconduct.
▷ wickedness /ˈwɪkɪdnəs, ˈwɪkədnəs/ [uncountable noun]
a quality in someone that makes them enjoy behaving in a very bad or immoral way :
▪ We sensed a wickedness in him that made us feel sick inside.
11. an extremely bad action
▷ atrocity /əˈtrɒsɪti, əˈtrɒsətiǁəˈtrɑː-/ [countable noun]
an unusually cruel and violent action, usually against someone who has done nothing wrong, that is unacceptable even during a time of war :
▪ The brutal destruction of an entire village was one of the worst atrocities of the Vietnam war.
▷ outrage /ˈaʊtreɪdʒ/ [countable noun]
an extremely bad, and often cruel and unfair action that people think is shocking :
▪ It’s an outrage that men who didn’t finish high school sometimes earn more than women with college educations.
▪ The terrorist attack, in which two innocent tourists were murdered, is the third outrage of its kind this year.
12. to influence someone in a bad way
▷ lead somebody astray /ˌliːd somebody əˈstreɪ/ [verb phrase]
to encourage someone to do bad or immoral things that they would not normally do :
▪ They’re afraid their son will be led astray by the older boys.
▪ Parents complained that teachers were leading students astray by discussing contraception and abortion in the classroom.
▷ set a bad example/be a bad example /ˌset ə bæd ɪgˈzɑːmp ə l, biː ə ˌbæd ɪgˈzɑːmp ə lǁ-ˈzæm-/ [verb phrase]
if someone in a position of authority, such as a parent or teacher sets a bad example, they influence others to behave in a bad or immoral way because they themselves behave in a bad or immoral way :
▪ Doctors who smoke set a bad example.
set a bad example/be a bad example to
▪ Not only was it wrong of him to steal from the shop, he was setting a very bad example to his younger brother.
be a bad example for/to somebody
▪ Waters doesn’t drink or curse because he doesn’t want to be a bad example for young people.
▷ corrupt /kəˈrʌpt/ [transitive verb]
to make someone who would not normally behave badly behave in an immoral way, especially by having some influence over them over a long period of time :
▪ The Senate will form a committee to determine if violence on television is corrupting young people.
▪ The prison system does not work because many of the younger offenders are being corrupted by older, long-term prisoners.
▷ be a bad influence /biː ə ˌbæd ˈɪnfluəns/ [verb phrase]
someone who is a bad influence encourages someone else, especially a young person or someone who is easily influenced, to behave in the same bad or immoral way as themselves :
▪ My parents don’t want me to be friends with you any more. They think you’re a bad influence.
be a bad influence on
▪ Her new boyfriend has been a very bad influence on her.
13. a situation that you think is wrong or immoral
▷ bad /bæd/ [adjective only after noun]
▪ It’s very bad that tons of food are going to waste while people are starving.
▪ What’s really bad is the way the government promises new housing and never provides it.
▷ wrong /rɒŋǁrɔːŋ/ [adjective not before noun]
morally unacceptable, unfair, and against accepted ideas about what should be allowed to happen :
▪ I was taught that abortion is wrong, even though it’s not illegal.
▪ It’s wrong the way they treat that poor animal.
▷ disgusting /dɪsˈgʌstɪŋ, dɪz-/ [adjective]
something that is disgusting makes people feel shocked and angry, because it is completely immoral, evil, or unfair :
▪ The attitude toward immigrants and racial minorities in this country is disgusting.
▪ It’s disgusting the way politicians use their position to their personal advantage.
▷ shocking/scandalous /ˈʃɒkɪŋǁˈʃɑː-, ˈskænd ə ləs/ [adjective]
very immoral, unfair, or cruel, in a way that people think is unnecessary and unacceptable :
▪ The state of the country’s health system is scandalous.
▪ a shocking waste of human life
▪ The amount of money spent on nuclear weapons is shocking.
▪ It’s scandalous that a lawyer who holds a position of trust would be involved in this kind of embezzlement.
▷ outrageous /aʊtˈreɪdʒəs/ [adjective]
a situation that is outrageous is extremely bad and unfair in a way that makes people very angry :
▪ I’ve always thought it outrageous that the poor have to pay for tax cuts for the rich.
▪ The President accused the writer of an outrageous personal attack on his wife.
▷ be a disgrace /biː ə dɪsˈgreɪs/ [verb phrase]
if you say something is a disgrace, you think it should not be allowed to happen, because it is very unfair or unkind :
▪ The way they treat their workers is a disgrace.
it’s a disgrace (that)
▪ It’s a disgrace that the only hospital in the town has been closed.
disgraceful [adjective]
▪ The way children speak to their parents nowadays is disgraceful.
▪ It’s disgraceful that rapists are given such short sentences for such awful crimes.
▷ be a crime/be a sin /biː ə ˈkraɪm, biː ə ˈsɪn/ [verb phrase]
you say that a situation is a crime or is a sin when you mean it is very bad, especially because it is not fair and could easily be prevented :
▪ No one should be in such a bad way that they have to beg. It’s a sin.
▪ The condition of the inner cities in this country is nothing short of a crime.
it’s a crime/sin to do something
▪ Mrs Clark said it would be a sin to evict them just because they hadn’t paid their rent.
▪ It would be a crime not to take this opportunity to reconstruct our educational system.
▷ criminal /ˈkrɪmɪn ə l, ˈkrɪmən ə l/ [adjective]
a situation that is criminal is morally wrong, but not illegal :
▪ I think keeping animals locked up in cages is criminal.
▪ Having such beautiful paintings and not letting the public see them is a criminal waste of the nation’s art treasures.
▷ deplorable /dɪˈplɔːrəb ə l/ [adjective] formal
a situation that is deplorable is very bad, especially when it is unnecessary and could easily be prevented :
▪ Something must be done about the deplorable state of our roads.
▪ In addition to their harsh sentences, the prisoners have been exposed to deplorable prison conditions.