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bad — of poor quality or low standard; not good

Part of speech: ADJECTIVE

Definition: of poor quality or low standard; not good

Pronunciation (IPA): /bæd/

Example Sentences

  • My cooking is so bad that even my dog refuses to eat it.
  • I have bad news and worse news. Which would you like first?
  • It's not a bad idea to study English every day.

bad

ADJECTIVE

[/bæd/]

of poor quality or low standard; not good

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🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/bæd/
🇬🇧 UK/bæd/

🌳Etymology

Rootbad

Origin

The word 'bad' derives from Old English 'bæddel', originally meaning 'hermaphrodite' or 'effeminate person'. The term evolved to denote anything 'abnormal' or 'inferior', and by the Middle English period it acquired its modern sense of 'morally wrong' or 'unpleasant'.

Breakdown

Old English bæddel (hermaphrodite, abnormal) → Middle English bad → Modern English bad (wicked, unpleasant). The semantic shift reflects a progression from physical abnormality to moral or qualitative deficiency.

🎵Rhyme

sad
mad
had
dad
glad

🔗Collocations

bad weather
bad news
feel bad
bad habit
go bad
bad luck
not bad

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

“My cooking is so bad that even my dog refuses to eat it.”

😄 Fun example

“I have bad news and worse news. Which would you like first?”

“It's not a bad idea to study English every day.”

“The milk went bad because I left it outside the refrigerator.”

😄 Fun example

“He's not a bad person, just a bad dancer.”

📚Related Words

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