bad

not good: bad luck; wicked; defective: a bad part; unsound; false; disobedient: Bad dog!

Not to be confused with:

bade – past tense of bid: She bade him goodbye for the last time.

bad¹

(băd)

adj. worse (wûrs), worst (wûrst)

1. Not achieving an adequate standard; poor: a bad concert.

2. Immoral or evil.

3. Vulgar or obscene: bad language.

4. Disobedient or naughty: bad children.

5. Disagreeable, unpleasant, or disturbing: a bad piece of news.

6. Unfavorable: bad reviews for the play.

7. Not fresh; rotten or spoiled: bad meat.

8. Injurious in effect; detrimental: bad habits.

9. Not working properly; defective: a bad telephone connection.

10. Full of or exhibiting faults or errors: bad grammar.

11. Having no validity; void: passed bad checks.

12. Being so far behind in repayment as to be considered a loss: bad loans.

13. Severe; intense: a bad cold.

14.

a. Being in poor health or in pain: I feel bad today.

b. Being in poor condition; diseased: bad lungs.

15. Sorry; regretful: She feels bad about how she treated you.

16. bad·der, bad·dest Slang Very good; great.

Something that is below standard or expectations, as of ethics or decency: weighing the good against the bad.

adv. Usage Problem

Badly.

Idioms:

in bad Informal

In trouble or disfavor.

my bad Slang

Used to acknowledge that one is at fault.

not half/so bad Informal

Reasonably good.

that's too bad

1. Used to express sadness or sympathy.

2. Used in response to a protest or complaint to express insistence that the speaker's expectation be met.

[Middle English badde, perhaps from shortening of Old English bæddel, hermaphrodite, effeminate or homosexual male.]

bad′ness n.

Usage Note: Bad is often used as an adverb in sentences such as His tooth ached so bad he could not sleep. This usage is common in informal speech but is widely regarded as unacceptable in formal writing. In our 2009 survey, 72 percent of the Usage Panel rejected the sentence just quoted. · The use of badly with want and need was once considered incorrect, since in these cases it means "very much" rather than "in an inferior manner or condition" or "immorally." But this use is widespread, even in formal contexts, and is now considered standard. · The adverb badly is often used after verbs such as feel, as in I felt badly about the whole affair. This usage bears analogy to the use of other adverbs with feel, such as strongly in We feel strongly about this issue. Some people prefer to maintain a distinction between feel badly and feel bad, restricting the former to emotional distress and using the latter to cover physical ailments; however, this distinction is not universally observed, so feel badly should be used in a context that makes its meaning clear. · Badly is used in some regions to mean "unwell," as in He was looking badly after the accident. Poorly is also used in this way. · Note that badly is required following look when it modifies another word or phrase in the predicate, as in The motorcycle looked badly in need of repair.

Our Living Language Many people might have the impression that the slang usage of bad to mean its opposite, "excellent," is a recent innovation of African American Vernacular English. While the usage is of African American origin and parallels to it are found in language use throughout the Caribbean, the "good" use of bad has been recorded for over a century. The first known example dates from 1897. Even earlier, beginning in the 1850s, the word appears in the sense "formidable, very tough," as applied to persons. Whether or not the two usages are related, they both illustrate a favorite creative device of informal and slang language—using a word to mean the opposite of what it "really" means. This is by no means uncommon; people use words sarcastically to mean the opposite of their actual meanings on a daily basis. What is more unusual is for such a usage to be generally accepted within a larger community. Perhaps when the concepts are as basic as "good" and "bad" this general acceptance is made easier. A similar instance is the word uptight, which in the 1960s enjoyed usage in the sense "excellent" alongside its now-current, negative meaning of "tense."

bad²

(băd)

v. Archaic

A past tense of bid.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

bad

(bæd)

adj, worse or worst badder or baddest

1. not good; of poor quality; inadequate; inferior: bad workmanship; bad soil; bad light for reading.

2. (often foll by at) lacking skill or talent; incompetent: a bad painter; bad at sports.

3. (often foll by for) harmful: bad air; smoking is bad for you.

4. immoral; evil: a bad life.

5. naughty; mischievous; disobedient: a bad child.

6. rotten; decayed; spoiled: a bad egg.

7. severe; intense: a bad headache.

8. incorrect; wrong; faulty: bad pronunciation.

9. ill or in pain (esp in the phrase feel bad)

10. regretful, sorry, or upset (esp in the phrase feel bad about)

11. unfavourable; distressing: bad news; a bad business.

12. offensive; unpleasant; disagreeable: bad language; bad temper.

13. (Banking & Finance) not valid or sound; void: a bad cheque.

14. (Banking & Finance) not recoverable: a bad debt.

15. slang good; excellent

16. go bad to putrefy; spoil

17. go from bad to worse to deteriorate even more

18. in a bad way informal

a. seriously ill, through sickness or injury

b. in trouble of any kind

19. in someone's bad books See book²¹

20. make the best of a bad job to manage as well as possible in unfavourable circumstances

21. not bad not so bad informal passable; fair; fairly good

22. not half bad informal very good

23. too bad informal (often used dismissively) regrettable

24. unfortunate or unpleasant events collectively (often in the phrase take the bad with the good)

25. an immoral or degenerate state (often in the phrase go to the bad)

26. (Accounting & Book-keeping) the debit side of an account: £200 to the bad.

27. my bad informal US and Canadian my fault or mistake

adv

not standard badly: to want something bad.

[C13: probably from bæd-, as the first element of Old English bǣddel hermaphrodite, bǣdling sodomite]

ˈbaddish adj

ˈbadness n

bad

(bæd)

a variant of bade

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

bad¹

(bæd)

adj. worse, worst; (Slang) bad•der, bad•dest for 36; adj.

1. not good in any manner or degree.

2. having a wicked or evil character; morally reprehensible.

3. of inferior quality; inadequate; defective; deficient.

4. disobedient or naughty.

5. inaccurate or faulty: a bad guess.

6. invalid or false: bad judgment.

7. injurious or harmful: Too much sugar is bad for your teeth.

8. suffering from sickness, pain, or injury.

9. diseased, decayed, or physically weakened: a bad heart.

10. tainted, spoiled, or rotten.

11. having a detrimental effect, result, or tendency; unfavorable.

12. disagreeable; unpleasant: a bad night.

13. easily provoked to anger; irascible: a bad temper.

14. severe: a bad flood.

15. regretful or upset: He felt bad about leaving.

16. disreputable or dishonorable: a bad name.

17. displaying a lack of skill or competence.

18. unfortunate or unfavorable: bad news.

19. inclement, as weather.

20. disagreeable or offensive to the senses: a bad odor.

21. lacking aesthetic sensitivity: bad taste.

22. not in keeping with a standard of behavior; coarse: bad manners.

23.

a. vulgar, obscene, or blasphemous: a bad word.

b. not observing rules or customs of grammar, usage, spelling, etc.: bad English.

24. marred by defects; blemished: bad skin.

25. not profitable or worth the price paid: The land was a bad buy.

26. (of a debt) deemed uncollectible and treated as a loss.

27. counterfeit; not genuine.

28. Slang. outstandingly excellent; first-rate: He is one bad drummer.

29. that which is bad: You have to take the bad with the good.

30. a bad condition, character, or quality.

adv.

31. badly: She wanted it bad enough to steal it.

Idioms:

1. bad or badly off, poor; destitute.

2. in bad, Informal.

a. in trouble or distress.

b. in disfavor.

3. my bad, Slang. my fault! my mistake!

4. not (half, so, or too) bad, somewhat good; tolerable.

5. too bad, unfortunate or disappointing.

[1250–1300; Middle English badde]

bad′ness, n.

usage: The adjective bad meaning “unpleasant, unattractive, spoiled, etc.,” is the usual form to follow such copulative verbs as sound, smell, look, and taste: After the rainstorm the water tasted bad. The locker room smells bad. After the copulative verb feel, the adjective badly in reference to physical or emotional states is also used and is standard, although bad is more common in formal writing. bad as an adverb appears mainly in informal contexts. See also badly, good.

bad²

(bæd)

v. Archaic.

a pt. of bid.

bad

– badly

1. 'bad'

Something that is bad is unpleasant, harmful, or undesirable.

I have some very bad news.

Sugar is bad for your teeth.

The comparative and superlative forms of bad are worse and worst.

Her grades are getting worse and worse.

This is the worst day of my life.

2. 'badly'

Don't use 'bad' as an adverb. Don't say, for example, 'They did bad in the elections'. You say 'They did badly in the elections'.

I cut myself badly.

The room was so badly lit I couldn't see what I was doing.

When badly is used like this, its comparative and superlative forms are worse and worst.

We played worse than in our previous match.

The south of England was the worst affected area.

Badly has another different meaning. If you need or want something badly, you need or want it very much.

I want this job so badly.

We badly need the money.

I am badly in need of advice.

For this meaning of badly, don't use the comparative and superlative forms 'worse' and 'worst'. Instead you use the forms more badly and most badly.

She wanted to see him more badly than ever.

Basketball is the sport that most badly needs new players.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	bad - that which is below standard or expectations as of ethics or decency; "take the bad with the good" badness quality - an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone; "the quality of mercy is not strained"--Shakespeare unworthiness - the quality or state of lacking merit or value undesirability - the quality possessed by something that should be avoided worse - something inferior in quality or condition or effect; "for better or for worse"; "accused of cheating and lying and worse" evil - that which causes harm or destruction or misfortune; "the evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones"- Shakespeare unsoundness - not mentally or physically healthy; "no one can be a poet without a certain unsoundness of mind" liability - the quality of being something that holds you back inadvisability - the quality of being ill-advised goodness, good - that which is pleasing or valuable or useful; "weigh the good against the bad"; "among the highest goods of all are happiness and self-realization"
Adj.	1.	bad - having undesirable or negative qualities; "a bad report card"; "his sloppy appearance made a bad impression"; "a bad little boy"; "clothes in bad shape"; "a bad cut"; "bad luck"; "the news was very bad"; "the reviews were bad"; "the pay is bad"; "it was a bad light for reading"; "the movie was a bad choice" worst - (superlative of `bad') most wanting in quality or value or condition; "the worst player on the team"; "the worst weather of the year" worse - (comparative of `bad') inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability; "this road is worse than the first one we took"; "the road is in worse shape than it was"; "she was accused of worse things than cheating and lying" unfavorable, unfavourable - not encouraging or approving or pleasing; "unfavorable conditions"; "an unfavorable comparison"; "unfavorable comments", "unfavorable impression" evil - morally bad or wrong; "evil purposes"; "an evil influence"; "evil deeds" disobedient - not obeying or complying with commands of those in authority; "disobedient children" good - having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified; "good news from the hospital"; "a good report card"; "when she was good she was very very good"; "a good knife is one good for cutting"; "this stump will make a good picnic table"; "a good check"; "a good joke"; "a good exterior paint"; "a good secretary"; "a good dress for the office"
	2.	bad - very intense; "a bad headache"; "in a big rage"; "had a big (or bad) shock"; "a bad earthquake"; "a bad storm" big intense - possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree; "intense heat"; "intense anxiety"; "intense desire"; "intense emotion"; "the skunk's intense acrid odor"; "intense pain"; "enemy fire was intense"
	3.	bad - feeling physical discomfort or pain (`tough' is occasionally used colloquially for `bad'); "my throat feels bad"; "she felt bad all over"; "he was feeling tough after a restless night" tough colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech uncomfortable - providing or experiencing physical discomfort; "an uncomfortable chair"; "an uncomfortable day in the hot sun"
	4.	bad - (of foodstuffs) not in an edible or usable condition; "bad meat"; "a refrigerator full of spoilt food" spoiled, spoilt stale - lacking freshness, palatability, or showing deterioration from age; "stale bread"; "the beer was stale"
	5.	bad - feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone; "felt regretful over his vanished youth"; "regretful over mistakes she had made"; "he felt bad about breaking the vase" regretful, sorry penitent, repentant - feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds
	6.	bad - not capable of being collected; "a bad (or uncollectible) debt" uncollectible invalid - having no cogency or legal force; "invalid reasoning"; "an invalid driver's license"
	7.	bad - below average in quality or performance; "a bad chess player"; "a bad recital" inferior - of low or inferior quality
	8.	bad - nonstandard; "so-called bad grammar" linguistics - the scientific study of language colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech nonstandard - not conforming to the language usage of a prestige group within a community; "a nonstandard dialect is one used by uneducated speakers or socially disfavored groups"; "the common core of nonstandard words and phrases in folk speech"- A.R.Dunlap
	9.	bad - not financially safe or secure; "a bad investment"; "high risk investments"; "anything that promises to pay too much can't help being risky"; "speculative business enterprises" high-risk, speculative, risky unsound - not sound financially; "unsound banking practices"
	10.	bad - physically unsound or diseased; "has a bad back"; "a bad heart"; "bad teeth"; "an unsound limb"; "unsound teeth" unfit, unsound unhealthy - not in or exhibiting good health in body or mind; "unhealthy ulcers"
	11.	bad - capable of harming; "bad air"; "smoking is bad for you" harmful - causing or capable of causing harm; "too much sun is harmful to the skin"; "harmful effects of smoking"
	12.	bad - characterized by wickedness or immorality; "led a very bad life" evil - morally bad or wrong; "evil purposes"; "an evil influence"; "evil deeds"
	13.	bad - reproduced fraudulently; "like a bad penny..."; "a forged twenty dollar bill" forged counterfeit, imitative - not genuine; imitating something superior; "counterfeit emotion"; "counterfeit money"; "counterfeit works of art"; "a counterfeit prince"
	14.	bad - not working properly; "a bad telephone connection"; "a defective appliance" defective malfunctioning, nonfunctional - not performing or able to perform its regular function; "a malfunctioning valve"
Adv.	1.	bad - with great intensity (`bad' is a nonstandard variant for `badly'); "the injury hurt badly"; "the buildings were badly shaken"; "it hurts bad"; "we need water bad" badly
	2.	bad - very much; strongly; "I wanted it badly enough to work hard for it"; "the cables had sagged badly"; "they were badly in need of help"; "he wants a bicycle so bad he can taste it" badly

bad

adjective

1. harmful, damaging, dangerous, disastrous, destructive, unhealthy, detrimental, hurtful, ruinous, deleterious, injurious, disadvantageous Divorce is bad for children.
harmful good, sound, safe, beneficial, agreeable, wholesome, healthful

2. severe, serious, terrible, acute, extreme, intense, painful, distressing, fierce, harsh The pain is often so bad she wants to scream.

3. poor, unwise, unsound Of course politicians will sometimes make bad decisions.

4. unfavourable, troubling, distressing, unfortunate, grim, discouraging, unpleasant, gloomy, adverse The closure of the project is bad news for her staff.

5. inferior, poor, inadequate, pathetic, faulty, duff (Brit. informal), unsatisfactory, mediocre, defective, second-class, deficient, imperfect, second-rate, shoddy, low-grade, erroneous, substandard, low-rent (informal, chiefly U.S.), two-bit (U.S. & Canad. slang), crappy (slang), end-of-the-pier (Brit. informal), poxy (slang), dime-a-dozen (informal), piss-poor (slang), bush-league (Austral. & N.Z. informal), tinhorn (U.S. slang), half-pie (N.Z. informal), strictly for the birds (informal) Many old people in Britain are living in bad housing.
inferior fair, adequate, satisfactory

6. incompetent, poor, useless, crap (slang), incapable, unfit, inexpert He was a bad driver.

7. severe, hard, tough, harsh, grim, unpleasant Being unable to hear doesn't seem as bad as being unable to see.

8. wicked, criminal, evil, corrupt, worthless, base, vile, immoral, delinquent, sinful, depraved, debased, amoral, egregious, villainous, unprincipled, iniquitous, nefarious, dissolute, maleficent I was selling drugs, but I didn't think I was a bad person.
wicked good, moral, ethical, righteous, virtuous, first-rate

9. naughty, defiant, perverse, wayward, mischievous, wicked, unruly, impish, undisciplined, roguish, disobedient You are a bad boy for repeating what I told you.
naughty good, obedient, well-behaved, docile, biddable

10. foul, irritable, grotty She is in a bit of a bad mood because she's just given up smoking.

11. guilty, sorry, ashamed, apologetic, rueful, sheepish, contrite, remorseful, regretful, shamefaced, conscience-stricken You don't have to feel bad about relaxing.

12. injured (informal), damaged, diseased, hurt, sick, weak, disabled, ailing, lame, unhealthy, dicky (Brit. informal) He has a bad back so we have a hard bed.

13. rotten, off, rank, sour, rancid, mouldy, fetid, putrid They bought so much beef that some went bad.

14. offensive, nasty, insulting, disgusting, crude, rude, abusive, coarse, indecent, unsavoury, objectionable, uncouth, impolite, discourteous, indelicate, uncivil, indecorous I don't like to hear bad language in the street.

15. null and void, false, fake, bogus, worthless, dud, counterfeit, null, not binding, fallacious She wrote another bad cheque.

not bad (Informal) O.K. or okay, fine, middling, average, fair, all right, acceptable, moderate, adequate, respectable, satisfactory, so-so, tolerable, passable, fair to middling (informal) These are not bad for cheap shoes.

too bad

16. a shame, a crime (informal), a pity, a sin, a crying shame, a bummer (slang), a sad thing It is too bad that she had to leave so soon.

17. hard luck, tough luck, hard cheese `But I haven't finished yet.' `Too bad.'

Quotations
"When I'm good, I'm very, very good, but when I'm bad I'm better" [Mae West I'm No Angel]

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

bad

adjective

1. Below a standard of quality:

bum, poor, unsatisfactory.

Idioms: below par, not up to scratch.

2. Morally objectionable:

black, evil, immoral, iniquitous, peccant, reprobate, sinful, vicious, wicked, wrong.

3. Misbehaving, often in a troublesome way:

ill-behaved, naughty.

4. Not pleasant or agreeable:

disagreeable, displeasing, offensive, uncongenial, unpleasant, unsympathetic.

Informal: icky.

Slang: yucky.

5. Bringing, predicting, or characterized by misfortune:

evil, ill, inauspicious, unfavorable, unpropitious.

6. Impaired because of decay:

putrid, rotten.

7. Causing harm or injury:

deleterious, detrimental, evil, harmful, hurtful, ill, injurious, mischievous.

noun

Whatever is destructive or harmful:

badness, evil, ill.

Translations

سَيِّءغَيْر سارّغَيْر صِحّي، مَريضفاسِدُ، مُذرٍلا يُمْكِن دَفْعُـه

dolentmalmala

špatnýzlývadnýzávažnýzkažený

dårligslemondskadeligfordærvet

schlecht schlimm böse mies unangenehm

κακός κακώς άσχημα άσχημος

malbona

malo pasado perjudicial pernicioso perverso

pahahuonohuonotapainenikäväilkeä

mauvais mal malade mauvaise méchant

רע

lošlošalošeružanružna

kellemetlenrosszrosszat tesz

mal

burukjahatjelek

vondurvondur, slæmur, lélegurlasinnskaîlegurskemmdur, úldinn

cattivo brutto carne andata a male andare a male aver male

悪い

나쁜안 좋은

beviltiškasblogaiblogumaseiti vis blogynkenksmingas

sliktsļaunsnepatīkamsnepiemērotsnevesels

slecht verkeerd kwaad naar onaangenaam

dårlig slem svak ubehagelig uvel

złynieświeżanieświeżenieświeżyuszkodzona

mau quebrado ruim bafo desagradável

плохой подлый скверный худой дурной

nevymožiteľný

slabslabaslabosmolatežak

cлaбoлошeнепристојно

dåligfulolämpligondopassande

เลว

kötüödenmeyenrahatsız tehlikeliüzücü

tồixấu

坏的有害的痛的腐烂的不舒服的

bad

[bæd]

A. ADJ (worse (compar) (worst (superl)))

1. (= disagreeable) → malo
I've had a bad day at work → he tenido un mal día en el trabajo
to taste bad → saber mal, no saber bueno
she looked as if she had a bad smell under her nose → parecía como si algo le oliera mal
to go from bad to worse → ir de mal en peor
see also mood ² A
see also temper A1
see also time A7

2. (= poor, inferior) → malo
her English is bad → habla inglés mal
his handwriting is bad → tiene mala letra
business is bad → el negocio va mal
to be bad at sth → ser malo para algo
I was bad at sports → era muy malo para los deportes, los deportes se me daban mal
he was a bad driver → era un mal conductor
that's not a bad idea → ésa no es una mala idea
I'm a bad liar → no sé mentir
bad light stopped play → se suspendió el partido debido a la falta de luz
it would make me look bad in the press → daría una mala imagen de mí en la prensa
he wasn't bad-looking → no estaba mal
bad management → mala administración
this wine's not bad at all → este vino no está nada mal
too bad it's too bad you couldn't get tickets → es una pena or una lástima que no hayas podido conseguir entradas
"that was my drink!" - "too bad!" → -¡ésa era mi bebida! -¡qué le vamos a hacer!
if you don't like it, (that's) too bad! → si no te gusta, ¡peor para ti!
the firm has had a bad year → la empresa ha tenido un mal año

3. (= serious, severe) [accident, mistake] → grave; [headache] → fuerte
she's got a bad cold → está muy resfriada, tiene un resfriado fuerte
the traffic was bad today → hoy había mucho tráfico

4. (= unfavourable) → malo
the plane was diverted due to bad weather → el avión fue desviado debido al mal tiempo
you've come at a bad time → vienes en un mal momento
things are looking bad for the government → las cosas se están poniendo feas para el gobierno
it'll look bad if we don't go → quedará mal que no vayamos
see also book A1

5. (= harmful) → malo
he was a bad influence → era una mala influencia
to be bad for sth/sb smoking is bad for you or for your health → fumar es malo or perjudicial para la salud, fumar perjudica la salud
soap is bad for the skin → el jabón no es bueno para la piel

6. (= wicked) [person, behaviour] → malo
you bad boy! → ¡qué niño más malo eres!
they're a bad lot → no son buena gente
he said a bad word → ha dicho una palabrota
it's too bad of you! → ¿no te da vergüenza?
it's really too bad of him! → ¡realmente no tiene vergüenza!
see also language A5

7.
to feel bad about sth (= sorry) I feel bad about hurting his feelings → me sabe mal haber herido sus sentimientos; (= guilty) are you trying to make me feel bad? → ¿estás intentando hacer que me sienta culpable?
don't feel bad (about it), it's not your fault → no te preocupes, no es culpa tuya

8. (= ailing) I feel bad → me siento mal
he has a bad back → está mal de la espalda
to be in a bad way the economy is in a bad way → la economía va mal
he looked in a bad way → tenía mal aspecto

9. (= rotten) [food] → podrido; [milk] → cortado; [tooth] → picado
to go bad → pasarse, estropearse
see also blood

10. (Fin) [cheque] → sin fondos
a bad debt → una deuda incobrable or de pago dudoso

B. N → lo malo
parents can have a powerful influence for good or bad → los padres pueden tener mucha influencia para lo bueno y para lo malo
there's good and bad in this news → esta noticia tiene su lado bueno y su lado malo
there is both good and bad in every human being → hay una parte buena y una parte mala en cada ser humano
to take the bad with the good → aceptar tanto lo bueno como lo malo

C. ADV he's hurt bad → está malherido
she took it bad → se lo tomó a mal
if you want it that bad you can pay for it yourself → si tanto lo quieres, comprátelo tú
to need sth real bad → necesitar algo desesperadamente
the way she looks at him, you can tell she's got it bad → por la forma en que lo mira, se nota que está colada por él
to be in bad with sb he's in bad with the law → tiene problemas con la ley

BAD

"Malo" shortened to "mal"

• Malo must be shortened to mal before a masculine singular noun:

He was in a bad mood Estaba de mal humor
Position of "malo"

• Mal/Mala precedes the noun in general comments. Here, there is no comparison, implied or explicit, with something better:

I'm afraid I have some bad news for you Me temo que traigo malas noticias para usted I've had a bad day today Hoy he tenido un mal día

• Malo/Mala follows the noun when there is an implicit or explicit comparison with something good:

...his only bad day in the race... ...su único día malo en la carrera...
Ser/Estar malo

• Use malo with ser to describe inherent qualities and characteristics:

Smoking is bad for your health Fumar es malo para la salud This is a very bad film Esta película es malísima

• Use malo with estar to describe unpleasant food or else to mean "unwell":

The food was really bad La comida estaba malísima He's been unwell lately Ha estado malo últimamente
Estar mal

• Use estar with the adverb mal to give a general comment on a situation that seems bad or wrong:

Cheating in your exams is really bad Está muy mal que copies en los exámenes In the space of an hour I've signed fifty books. Not bad En una hora he firmado cincuenta libros. No está mal I managed to come second, which wasn't bad He conseguido acabar segundo, lo que no estuvo mal

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

bad

[ˈbæd] adj

(of poor quality) [film, book] → mauvais(e); [actor, driver] → mauvais(e); [mother, father] → mauvais(e); [idea, decision] → mauvais(e); [weather, health, conditions] → mauvais(e)
a bad film → un mauvais film
the bad weather → le mauvais temps
The weather is really bad in winter
BUT Il fait vraiment mauvais en hiver.
to be bad at sth → être mauvais(e) en qch
I'm really bad at maths → Je suis vraiment mauvais en maths.
to be bad at doing sth → ne pas savoir faire qch
not bad [effort, painting, appearance] → pas mal
That's not bad at all → Ce n'est pas mal du tout.; [food, drink] → pas mauvais(e)
"What's the food like?" - "Not bad." → "Comment est la nourriture?" - "Pas mauvaise."
The wine wasn't bad → Le vin n'était pas mauvais.
to go from bad to worse → aller de mal en pis

(= wrong or unacceptable) [person, behaviour] → mauvais(e); [child] → vilain(e); [habit] → mauvais(e)
a bad man → un homme mauvais
a bad person → quelqu'un de mauvais
I was selling drugs, but I didn't think I was a bad person → Je vendais de la drogue mais je ne pensais pas être quelqu'un de mauvais.
you bad boy! → vilain!
the bad boy of sth → l'enfant terrible de qch
bad language → grossièretés fpl
to use bad language → dire des grossièretés
to feel bad about sth (= guilty) → s'en vouloir de qch
I feel bad about it (guilty) → je m'en veux; (sad) → ça m'attriste, ça me rend triste
I feel bad about the redundancies → Ça m'attriste, tous ces licenciements., Ça me rend triste, tous ces licenciements.
to feel bad about doing sth (= guilty) → s'en vouloir d'avoir fait qch
I think she was feeling bad about being so bitchy to me yesterday → Je pense qu'elle s'en voulait d'avoir été aussi vache avec moi hier.
You don't have to feel bad about relaxing
BUT Tu ne devrais pas avoir mauvaise conscience quand tu te détends.
to feel bad (that) ... (= guilty)
I feel bad that I've upset him → Je m'en veux de l'avoir contrarié.
I feel bad she's in jail → Ça me donne mauvaise conscience qu'elle soit en prison.
to act in bad faith → être de mauvaise foi
The Foreign Office had been negotiating in bad faith → Le ministère des affaires étrangères avait été de mauvaise foi dans ses négociations.
The allegations were made in bad faith, in the knowledge that they were untrue → Les déclarations avaient été faites de mauvaise foi; elles avaient été faites tout en sachant qu'elles étaient fausses.

(= unpleasant, negative) [news] → mauvais(e); [mood] → mauvais(e); [dream] → mauvais(e); [publicity, reputation] → mauvais(e)
to have a bad temper → avoir mauvais caractère
He has a very bad temper → Il a mauvais caractère.
to be in a bad temper → être de mauvaise humeur
to be in a bad mood → être de mauvaise humeur
to be having a bad time of it → traverser une mauvaise passe
to have a bad day → avoir une mauvaise journée
to be in a bad way, to be in bad shape [person, company, economy] → être en piteux état
too bad! → tant pis!
never a bad word to say
He never has a bad word to say about anyone → Il n'est pas médisant.
He never has a bad word to say about you → Il ne dit jamais de mal de toi.

(= serious, severe) [accident, injury] → grave; [fracture] → vilain(e); [mistake] → grave
a bad accident → un accident grave
a bad headache
I've got a bad headache → J'ai très mal à la tête.
a bad pain
How bad is the pain? → Tu as très mal?
The pain was so bad he could hardly stand → La douleur était telle qu'il pouvait à peine se tenir debout.

(= injured, painful) to have a bad back → avoir mal au dos
The bed was good for his bad back → Le lit était bon pour son mal de dos.
to have a bad leg → avoir mal à la jambe
I've got a bad leg → J'ai mal à la jambe.
his bad leg → sa jambe malade
to have a bad chest → être fragile des poumons
to have a bad heart → avoir le cœur fragile

(= injurious) to be bad for you (for one's health) → être mauvais(e) pour la santé, nuire à la santé
Smoking is bad for you → Le tabac est mauvais pour la santé., Le tabac nuit à la santé.
to be bad for sth → être mauvais pour qch
Sugar is bad for your teeth → Le sucre est mauvais pour les dents.

(= rotten) [meat, food] → gâté(e)
to go bad [meat, food] → se gâter; [milk] → tournerbad apple n (= person) → brebis f galeusebad blood n → animosité f
there is bad blood between them → il y a de l'animosité entre euxbad cheque (British) bad check (US) n → chèque m en bois
to write a bad cheque → faire un chèque en boisbad debt n → créance f irrécouvrablebad dream n → cauchemar m

bad

bad-ass (US sl)

n → knallharter Typ (inf)

adj attitude → knallhart (inf); a bad kid → ein knallharter Bursche (inf)

bad blood

n → böses Blut; there is bad between them → sie haben ein gestörtes Verhältnis

bad cheque, (US) bad check

n (containing a mistake) → ungültiger Scheck; (not covered by funds) → ungedeckter Scheck

bad

adj comp <worse>, superl <worst>

→ schlecht; smell → übel; habit → schlecht, übel; insurance risk → hoch; word → unanständig, schlimm; (= immoral, wicked) → böse; (= naughty, misbehaved) → unartig, ungezogen; dog → böse; it was a bad thing to do → das hättest du nicht tun sollen; it was bad of you to treat her like that → das war gemein von dir, sie so zu behandeln; he went through a bad time → er hat eine schlimme Zeit durchgemacht; I’ve had a really bad day → ich hatte einen furchtbaren Tag; you bad boy! → du ungezogener Junge!, du Lümmel! (also iro); he’s been a bad boy → er war unartig or böse; I didn’t mean that word in a bad sense → ich habe mir bei dem Wort nichts Böses gedacht; it’s a bad business → das ist eine üble Sache; it’s not so bad/not bad at all → es ist nicht/gar nicht so schlecht; things are going from bad to worse → es wird immer schlimmer; to go bad → schlecht werden, verderben; he’s gone bad (US) → er ist auf die schiefe Bahn geraten; to be bad for somebody/something → schlecht or nicht gut für jdn/etw sein; he’s bad at French → er ist schlecht in Französisch; he’s bad at sports → im Sport ist er schlecht or nicht gut, er ist unsportlich; I’m very bad at telling lies → ich kann schlecht or nicht gut lügen; he speaks very bad English, his English is very bad → er spricht sehr schlecht(es) Englisch; to be bad to somebody → jdn schlecht behandeln; there’s nothing bad about living together → es ist doch nichts dabei, wenn man zusammenlebt; this is a bad town for violence → in dieser Stadt ist es wirklich schlimm mit der Gewalttätigkeit; bad light stopped play → das Spiel wurde aufgrund des schlechten Lichts abgebrochen; it would not be a bad thing → das wäre nicht schlecht or keine schlechte Idee; that’s not a bad idea! → das ist keine schlechte Idee!; (that’s) too bad! (indignant) → so was!; (= bad luck!) → Pech!; it’s too bad of you → das ist wirklich nicht nett von dir; too bad you couldn’t make it → (es ist) wirklich schade, dass Sie nicht kommen konnten; to have a bad hair day (inf) → Probleme mit der Frisur haben; (fig) → total durch den Wind sein (inf); to be in bad with somebody (US) → bei jdm schlecht angeschrieben sein

(= serious) wound, sprain → schlimm; accident, mistake, cold → schlimm, schwer; headache → stark; he’s got it bad (inf) → ihn hats schwer erwischt (inf); to have it bad for somebody (inf) → in jdn schwer or unheimlich verknallt sein (inf)

(= unfavourable) time, day → ungünstig, schlecht; Thursday’s bad, can you make it Friday? → Donnerstag ist ungünstig or schlecht, gehts nicht Freitag?

(= in poor health, sick) stomach → krank; leg, knee, hand → schlimm; tooth (generally) → schlecht; (now) → schlimm; he/the economy is in a bad way (Brit) → es geht ihm schlecht/es steht schlecht um die or mit der Wirtschaft; I’ve got a bad head (Brit) → ich habe einen dicken Kopf (inf); to feel bad → sich nicht wohlfühlen; I feel bad → mir geht es nicht gut, mir ist nicht gut; to be taken bad (Brit) to take a bad turn (inf) → plötzlich krank werden; how is he? — he’s not so bad → wie geht es ihm? — nicht schlecht; I didn’t know she was so bad → ich wusste nicht, dass es ihr so schlecht geht or dass sie so schlimm dran ist (inf)

(= regretful) I feel really bad about not having told him → es tut mir wirklich leid or ich habe ein schlechtes Gewissen, dass ich ihm das nicht gesagt habe; don’t feel bad about it → machen Sie sich (dat) → keine Gedanken or Sorgen (darüber)

debt → uneinbringlich; voting slip, coin → ungültig; (= damaged) copies etc → beschädigt

(Comput) data format → ungültig; (= corrupted) → fehlerhaft

n no pl

to take the good with the bad → (auch) die schlechten Seiten in Kauf nehmen; there is good and bad in everything/everybody → alles/jeder hat seine guten und schlechten Seiten

he’s gone to the bad (Brit) → er ist auf die schiefe Bahn geraten

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

bad

[bæd] adj (worse (comp) (worst (superl)))

a. (gen) → cattivo/a; (child) → cattivello/a; (habit, news, weather) → brutto/a, cattivo/a; (workmanship, film) → scadente, brutto/a; (mistake, illness, cut) → brutto/a, grave
bad language → parolacce fpl
you bad boy! → (brutto) cattivo!
he's bad at keeping appointments → non sa rispettare un impegno
smoking is bad for you → il fumo fa male alla salute
not bad (quite good) → non male (less enthusiastic) → così così
how are you feeling? - not bad → come si sente? - non c'è male
not bad, eh? → mica male, eh?
that wouldn't be a bad thing → non sarebbe una cattiva idea
that's too bad (sympathetic) → che peccato
that's just too bad (unsympathetic) → tanto peggio per te (or lei )
it's too bad of you → è poco carino da parte tua
business is bad → gli affari vanno male
from bad to worse → di male in peggio
to have a bad time of it → passarsela male
to be in a bad way (in difficulties) → essere nei guai (ill) → stare molto male
bad faith → malafede f

b. (rotten, food) → guasto/a, andato/a a male; (smell) → cattivo/a; (tooth) → cariato/a, guasto/a
to go bad → andare a male

c. to have a bad back/stomach → avere dei problemi alla schiena/allo stomaco
his bad leg → la sua gamba malata
to feel bad (sick) → sentirsi male
I feel bad about it (guilty) → mi sento un po' in colpa
there's no need for you to feel bad about it → non è il caso di prendersela

bad

(bӕd) – comparative worse (wəːs) : superlative worst (wəːst) – adjective

1. not good; not efficient. He is a bad driver; His eyesight is bad; They are bad at tennis (= they play tennis badly).

2. wicked; immoral. a bad man; He has done some bad things.

3. unpleasant. bad news.

4. rotten. This meat is bad.

5. causing harm or injury. Smoking is bad for your health.

6. (of a part of the body) painful, or in a weak state. She has a bad heart; I have a bad head (= headache) today.

7. unwell. I am feeling quite bad today.

8. serious or severe. a bad accident; a bad mistake.

9. (of a debt) not likely to be paid. The firm loses money every year from bad debts.

ˈbadly – comparative worse: superlative worst - adverb

1. not well, efficiently or satisfactorily. He plays tennis very badly.

2. to a serious or severe extent. He badly needs a haircut; The dress is badly stained.

ˈbadness noun

badly off

not having much especially money. We can't go on holiday – we are too badly off.

feel bad (about something)

to feel upset or ashamed about something. I feel bad about forgetting to telephone you.

go from bad to worse

to get into an even worse condition etc than before. Things are going from bad to worse for the firm – not only are we losing money but there's going to be a strike as well.

not bad

quite good. `Is she a good swimmer?' `She's not bad.'

too bad

unfortunate. It's too bad that he has left.

bad

→ رَدِيء, سَيِّء špatný, zlobivý dårlig, slem schlecht κακός malo huono, paha mauvais loš cattivo 悪い 나쁜, 안 좋은 slecht dårlig, slem zły mau плохой dålig เลว kötü tồi, xấu 劣质的, 坏的

bad

a. malo-a mal, nocivo-a, [harmful] dañino-a;

from ___ to worse → de mal en peor;

it is ___ for your health → es dañino a la salud;

___ breath → mal aliento;

___ looking → mal parecido;

___ mood → mal humor;

___ taste in the mouth → mal sabor en la boca;

slang___ trip → mala experiencia con una droga;

to look ___ → tener mal aspecto, tener mala cara;

adv. mal, malamente;

to need ___ → necesitar con urgencia;

to feel ___ → ___ sentirse mal;

adv. mal.

It's a bad line → هَذَا خَطٌ سَيئٌ → Je špatné spojení → Det er en dårlig forbindelse → Es ist eine schlechte Verbindung → La línea no funciona bien → Yhteys on huono → La ligne est mauvaise → Linija je loša → È una linea disturbata → 回線が悪いです → 통화 상태가 나빠요 → Het is een slechte lijn → Linjen er dårlig → Połączenie jest słabe → A linha está ruim → Плохая слышимость → Det är en dålig linje → สายไม่ดี → Çok kötü bir hat → Đường dây kém quá → 线路不清楚
I have a bad back (US)
I've got a bad back (UK) → ظَهْري مُصابٌ → Mám špatná záda → Jeg har dårlig ryg → Ich leide an Rückenschmerzen → Tengo mal la espalda → Minulla on huono selkä → J'ai mal au dos → Imam probleme s leđima → Mi fa male la schiena → 私は背中が痛みます → 허리가 안 좋아요 → Ik heb rugklachten → Jeg har dårlig rygg → Bolą mnie plecy → Eu estou com dor nas costas → У меня болит спина → Jag har ont i ryggen → ฉันปวดหลัง → Sırtım tutuldu → Tôi bị đau lưng → 我的背很疼

bad

adj (comp worse; super worst) malo* , nocivo (form), dañino; Salt is bad for you..La sal es mala para Ud …bad for your health nocivo or malo para su salud… a bad cold..un resfriado fuerte

* malo become mal before masculine nouns: un mal cáncer (a bad cancer)

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