Bad - English meaning

adjective

Unable to think clearly; confused.

Usage examples:

This might just be my addled brain playing tricks

verb

Make (someone) unable to think clearly; confuse.

Usage examples:

Being in love must have addled your brain

adjective

Preventing success or development; harmful; unfavourable.

Usage examples:

Taxes are having an adverse effect on production

adjective

Going against something, or causing harm

Usage examples:

Her policies may have adverse effects on the economy.

adjective

Harmful or likely to cause problems

Usage examples:

A chain reaction of adverse events in the financial markets has put lenders under severe pressure.,…

adjective

Done in an unskilful or inept way.

Usage examples:

Her amateurish interviewing technique

adjective

Performed without much skill

Usage examples:

The movie drags along, made even worse by amateurish acting.

adjective

Lacking a moral sense; unconcerned with the rightness or wrongness of something.

Usage examples:

An amoral attitude to sex

adjective

Without moral principles

Usage examples:

Business is an amoral activity focused coldly on success.

adjective

Expressing or showing regretful acknowledgement of an offence or failure.

Usage examples:

She was very apologetic about the whole incident

adjective

Expressing regret about having caused someone inconvenience or unhappiness

Usage examples:

He was apologetic for not returning my call., the waiter apologetically took the bone back to the k…

adjective

Embarrassed or guilty because of one's actions, characteristics, or associations.

Usage examples:

You should be ashamed of yourself

adjective

Feeling bad because you are aware that others know that you or someone connected with you has done something wrong or embarrassing

Usage examples:

[ + to infinitive ] pedro was never ashamed to admit his mistakes., i felt deeply ashamed for my fa…

adjective

Very bad or unpleasant.

Usage examples:

The place smelled awful

adverb

Awfully; very.

Usage examples:

We're an awful long way from the motorway

noun

The lowest part or edge of something, especially the part on which it rests or is supported.

Usage examples:

She sat down at the base of a tree

verb

Use (something specified) as the foundation or starting point for something.

Usage examples:

The film is based on a novel by pat conroy

adjective

Without moral principles; ignoble.

Usage examples:

The electorate's baser instincts of greed and selfishness

adjective

Not genuine or true (used in a disapproving manner when deception has been attempted).

Usage examples:

A bogus insurance claim

adjective

Not giving sufficient attention or thought to avoiding harm or errors.

Usage examples:

She had been careless and had left the window unlocked

verb

(of a rebuke or misfortune) have a restraining or moderating effect on.

Usage examples:

The director was somewhat chastened by his recent flops

verb

Past simple and past participle of chasten

Usage examples:

He was chastened by the defeat and determined to work harder.

adjective

Feeling very sorry for something that you have done wrong

adjective

Feeling or expressing remorse at the recognition that one has done wrong.

Usage examples:

A contrite tone

adjective

Having or showing a willingness to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain.

Usage examples:

Unscrupulous logging companies assisted by corrupt officials

verb

Cause to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain.

Usage examples:

There is a continuing fear of firms corrupting politicians in the search for contracts

adjective

Dishonest and willing to use your position or power to your own advantage, esp. for money

Usage examples:

It’s been called the most politically corrupt city in the nation., your philosophy is corrupt., pol…

adjective

Made in exact imitation of something valuable with the intention to deceive or defraud.

Usage examples:

Counterfeit £10 notes

noun

A fraudulent imitation of something else.

Usage examples:

He knew the tapes to be counterfeits

verb

Imitate fraudulently.

Usage examples:

My signature is extremely hard to counterfeit

noun

A person who has committed a crime.

Usage examples:

These men are dangerous criminals

adjective

Relating to crime.

Usage examples:

They are charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage

adjective

Involving or having the character of a crime

Usage examples:

She may face criminal charges for lying to a grand jury., he had an extensive criminal record (= an…

noun

The hooked staff of a shepherd.

Usage examples:

Seizing his crook from behind the door, he set off to call his dogs

verb

Bend (something, especially a finger as a signal).

Usage examples:

He crooked a finger for the waitress

adjective

Bad, unpleasant, or unsatisfactory.

Usage examples:

It was pretty crook on the land in the early 1970s

adjective

Having rotted or decomposed.

Usage examples:

Decayed animal and plant matter

verb

(of organic matter) rot or decompose through the action of bacteria and fungi.

Usage examples:

The body had begun to decay

verb

Past simple and past participle of decay

Usage examples:

Sugar makes your teeth decay., the role of the extended family has been decaying for some time., po…

verb

(with reference to a dead body or other organic matter) make or become rotten; decay or cause to decay.

Usage examples:

The body had begun to decompose

verb

Past simple and past participle of decompose

Usage examples:

The body must have been decomposing for several weeks., microbes decompose organic waste into a mix…

adjective

(of organic matter) in the process of decaying.

Usage examples:

Decomposing fungi

verb

(with reference to a dead body or other organic matter) make or become rotten; decay or cause to decay.

Usage examples:

The body had begun to decompose

verb

Present participle of decompose

Usage examples:

The body must have been decomposing for several weeks., microbes decompose organic waste into a mix…

adjective

Imperfect or faulty.

Usage examples:

Complaints over defective goods

noun

Having mental disabilities.

adjective

Containing a fault, or not working correctly

Usage examples:

The company does not accept returns on any technology products unless they're defective or damaged.…

adjective

Not having enough of a specified quality or ingredient.

Usage examples:

This diet is deficient in vitamin b

adjective

Lacking or not good enough

Usage examples:

A diet that is deficient in protein is harmful to children.

adjective

Having lost the physical, mental, or moral qualities considered normal and desirable; showing evidence of decline.

Usage examples:

A degenerate form of a higher civilization

noun

An immoral or corrupt person.

Usage examples:

Get out of my house, you degenerate!

verb

Decline or deteriorate physically, mentally, or morally.

Usage examples:

The quality of life had degenerated

adjective

Morally corrupt; wicked.

Usage examples:

He was a depraved lecher

verb

Make (someone) immoral or wicked.

Usage examples:

This book would deprave and corrupt young children

adjective

Morally bad or evil

Usage examples:

A depraved character/mind, someone who can kill a child like that must be totally depraved.

adjective

Unpleasant or unenjoyable.

Usage examples:

A disagreeable thought

adjective

Unpleasant; unattractive

Usage examples:

The drinking water had a disagreeable oily taste.

adjective

Suffering from disease.

Usage examples:

Diseased trees

adjective

Suffering from a disease

Usage examples:

A diseased lung/kidney, diseased brain tissue, farmers were dumping or burying the diseased carcass…

adjective

Behaving or prone to behave in an untrustworthy, deceitful, or insincere way.

Usage examples:

He was a dishonest hypocrite prepared to exploit his family

adjective

Not honest

Usage examples:

He’s been dishonest with us, and i’ll never trust him again.

adjective

Bringing shame or disgrace on someone or something.

Usage examples:

His crimes are petty and dishonourable

adjective

A dishonourable action causes embarrassment and a loss of people's respect

Usage examples:

This was a dishonourable attempt to avoid responsibility., they regard killing an unarmed man as di…

adjective

(of a person or a way of life) overindulging in sensual pleasures.

Usage examples:

Unfortunately, his heir was feckless and dissolute

adjective

Showing a lack of good character and morals; immoral

Usage examples:

A dissolute life

adjective

Causing anxiety, sorrow or pain; upsetting.

Usage examples:

Some very distressing news

verb

Cause (someone) anxiety, sorrow, or pain.

Usage examples:

I didn't mean to distress you

adjective

Upsetting or worrying

Usage examples:

The news reports about the famine were very distressing., it was deeply distressing for him to see …

adjective

Causing or involving great suffering, fear, or unhappiness; extremely bad or serious.

Usage examples:

There's been a dreadful accident

adjective

Very bad

Usage examples:

I realized i had committed a dreadful mistake.

noun

A thing that fails to work properly or is otherwise unsatisfactory or worthless.

Usage examples:

All three bombs were duds

adjective

Not working or meeting standards; faulty.

Usage examples:

A dud ignition switch

verb

Trick or swindle (someone).

Usage examples:

They became increasingly aware of their rights and how much they were being dudded

adjective

Profoundly immoral and wicked.

Usage examples:

His evil deeds

noun

Profound immorality and wickedness, especially when regarded as a supernatural force.

Usage examples:

His struggle against the forces of evil

noun

The condition of being immoral, cruel, or bad, or an act of this type

Usage examples:

[ u ] a contest between good and evil, an evil ruler

adjective

Not genuine; imitation or counterfeit.

Usage examples:

She got on the plane with a fake passport

noun

A thing that is not genuine; a forgery or sham.

Usage examples:

Fakes of old masters

verb

Forge or counterfeit (something).

Usage examples:

She faked her spouse's signature

adjective

Not according with truth or fact; incorrect.

Usage examples:

He was feeding false information to his customers

adjective

(of things) not real, but made to look real, or (of information) not true but made to seem true in order to deceive

Usage examples:

Haban used false identification to enter france., the company presented clients with documents cont…

adjective

Not true or correct

Usage examples:

It is an offense to give false information on your application form., the wanted man is known to be…

adjective

Not working or made correctly; having defects.

Usage examples:

A faulty brake

adjective

Not working correctly, or not correct

Usage examples:

Faulty brakes, his arguments were based on faulty reasoning.

adjective

Not working correctly

Usage examples:

The company recalled over 500,000 cars last year because of a faulty connection in their new model.…

adjective

Contaminated through contact with flies and their eggs and larvae.

Usage examples:

Flyblown meat

adjective

Obtained, done by, or involving deception, especially criminal deception.

Usage examples:

Fraudulent share dealing

adjective

Not what it claims or pretends to be

Usage examples:

Fraudulent advertising, there’s been a rise in fraudulent insurance claims.

adjective

Intended to deceive someone, for example, to get money

Usage examples:

They thought i might try to collect insurance on a fraudulent claim., for a charge of fraudulent tr…

noun

An activity that one engages in for amusement or fun.

Usage examples:

The kids were playing a game with their balloons

adjective

Eager or willing to do something new or challenging.

Usage examples:

They were game for anything

verb

Manipulate (a situation), typically in a way that is unfair or unscrupulous.

Usage examples:

It was very easy for a few big companies to game the system

adjective

(of part of a person's body, especially the leg) unable to function normally because of injury or chronic pain.

Usage examples:

He had a gammy leg, it had steel in it or something

adjective

A gammy leg or other body part is damaged or does not work correctly

Usage examples:

I've got a gammy knee.

adjective

Very serious or gloomy.

Usage examples:

His grim expression

adjective

Not good; having no chance of a good result

Usage examples:

The outlook for a full recovery was grim., the future looks grim for workers who are losing their j…

adjective

Feeling very guilty

adjective

Culpable of or responsible for a specified wrongdoing.

Usage examples:

He was found guilty of manslaughter

adjective

If you feel guilty, you feel that you have done something wrong

Usage examples:

I feel so guilty about forgetting your birthday.

adjective

Not conforming to accepted standards of morality.

Usage examples:

Unseemly and immoral behaviour

adjective

Not following accepted standards of morally right behavior or thought

Usage examples:

Discrimination on the basis of race is immoral., the immorality of lying

adjective

Not perfect; faulty or incomplete.

Usage examples:

An imperfect grasp of english

noun

The imperfect tense.

adjective

Not perfect or not complete

Usage examples:

Our rule of law is still imperfect, but it’s better than having no laws at all., [ c ] investigator…

adjective

Lacking the quality or quantity required; insufficient for a purpose.

Usage examples:

These labels prove to be wholly inadequate

adjective

Too low in quality or too small in amount; not enough

Usage examples:

An inadequate income/offer, i feel inadequate when i talk to miranda about art because she knows so…

adjective

Too small in amount

Usage examples:

Inadequate funds/incomes/pensions too many of us are retiring on hopelessly inadequate incomes., th…

adjective

Lower in rank, status, or quality.

Usage examples:

Schooling in inner-city areas was inferior to that in the rest of the country

noun

A person lower than another in rank, status, or ability.

Usage examples:

Her social and intellectual inferiors

adjective

Grossly unfair and morally wrong.

Usage examples:

An iniquitous tax

adjective

Very wrong and unfair

Usage examples:

It is an iniquitous system that allows a person to die because they have no money to pay for medici…

adjective

Harmed, damaged, or impaired.

Usage examples:

A road accident left him severely injured

verb

Do physical harm or damage to (someone).

Usage examples:

The explosion injured several people

noun

A person made weak or disabled by illness or injury.

Usage examples:

She spent the rest of her life as an invalid

verb

Remove (someone) from active service in the armed forces because of injury or illness.

Usage examples:

He was badly wounded and invalided out of the infantry

adjective

(of an official document or procedure) not legally recognized because it contravenes a regulation or law.

Usage examples:

The will was declared invalid and the children were entitled to the estate

adjective

Broken or too old to use

Usage examples:

My bike's knackered., i'm too knackered to go out this evening.

adjective

Full of maggots.

Usage examples:

Maggoty apples

verb

Slowly decay or disintegrate, especially because of neglect.

Usage examples:

The books, if any are ever printed, will moulder in the warehouse

adjective

Slowly decaying or disintegrating, especially because of neglect.

Usage examples:

Piles of mouldering rubbish

adjective

Covered with a fungal growth which causes decay, due to age or damp conditions.

Usage examples:

Mouldy bread

adjective

Covered with mould

Usage examples:

Mouldy bread/cheese, all he gave me was a mouldy old 50p., the city's museums are filled with mould…

adjective

Very bad or unpleasant.

Usage examples:

Plastic bags burn with a nasty, acrid smell

noun

An unpleasant or harmful person or thing.

Usage examples:

A water conditioner to neutralize chlorine and other nasties

Offensive or even (of persons) malicious

adjective

(typically of an action or activity) wicked or criminal.

Usage examples:

The nefarious activities of the organized-crime syndicates

adjective

(especially of activities) morally bad

Usage examples:

The company's ceo seems to have been involved in some nefarious practices/activities.

adverb

Away from the place in question; to or at a distance.

Usage examples:

The man ran off

preposition

Moving away and often down from.

Usage examples:

He rolled off the bed

adjective

Characterized by performing or feeling worse than usual; unsatisfactory or inadequate.

Usage examples:

Even the greatest athletes have off days

adjective

Full of danger or uncertainty; precarious.

Usage examples:

The parlous state of the economy

adverb

Greatly or excessively.

Usage examples:

She is parlous handsome

adjective

Very bad, dangerous, or uncertain

Usage examples:

Relations between the two countries have been in a parlous state for some time., i'd like to buy a …

adjective

Feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong; repentant.

Usage examples:

A penitent expression

noun

A person who repents their sins and (in the christian church) seeks forgiveness from god.

Usage examples:

It would entail suspension from eucharistic communion and taking one's seat in a special part of th…

adjective

Not genuine; fraudulent.

Usage examples:

Phoney cruise-ship job offers

noun

A fraudulent person or thing.

Usage examples:

I'm a fake, a phony, a fraud, an impostor, and a charlatan of the worse degree.

adjective

Lacking sufficient money to live at a standard considered comfortable or normal in a society.

Usage examples:

They were too poor to afford a telephone

adjective

Relating to or causing decay.

Usage examples:

They were killed by the putrefactive bacteria

verb

(of a body or other organic matter) decay or rot and produce a fetid smell.

Usage examples:

The body was beginning to putrefy

verb

Past simple and past participle of putrefy

Usage examples:

The smell of putrefying flesh, the body had putrefied beyond recognition.

adjective

Undergoing the process of decay; rotting.

Usage examples:

The odour of putrescent flesh

adjective

(of organic matter) decaying or rotting and emitting a fetid smell.

Usage examples:

A butcher who sold putrid meat

adjective

(of foods containing fat or oil) smelling or tasting unpleasant as a result of being old and stale.

Usage examples:

Rancid meat

adjective

(of food containing a fat such as butter or oil) tasting or smelling unpleasant because it is not fresh

noun

A position in the hierarchy of the armed forces.

Usage examples:

An army officer of high rank

verb

Give (someone or something) a rank or place within a grading system.

Usage examples:

Students ranked the samples in order of preference

adjective

(of vegetation) growing too thickly and coarsely.

Usage examples:

Clumps of rank grass

adjective

Feeling or showing regret.

Usage examples:

He sounded regretful but pointed out that he had committed himself

adjective

Feeling or expressing sadness or disappointment

Usage examples:

A regretful sigh, "we never spoke of it," anne regretfully acknowledged.

adjective

(of conduct or an event) giving rise to regret; undesirable; unwelcome.

Usage examples:

The loss of this number of jobs is regrettable

adjective

Causing or deserving sadness or disappointment

Usage examples:

The omission of a sponsor’s name on the program was a regrettable error., regrettably, he died befo…

adjective

Filled with remorse; sorry.

Usage examples:

The defendant was remorseful for what he had done

adjective

Expressing or feeling sincere regret and remorse; remorseful.

Usage examples:

He is truly repentant for his incredible naivety and stupidity

adjective

Feeling sorry for something that you have done

noun

An unprincipled person.

Usage examples:

He had to present himself as more of a lovable reprobate than a spirit of corruption

adjective

Unprincipled.

Usage examples:

Reprobate behaviour

verb

Express or feel disapproval of.

Usage examples:

His neighbours reprobated his method of proceeding

adjective

Suffering from decay.

Usage examples:

Rotten eggs

adverb

To an extreme degree; very much.

Usage examples:

Your mother said that i spoiled you rotten

adjective

See at rot.

Usage examples:

A rotten trick, rotten behavior

adjective

Considered to be less important or of lower quality than others

Usage examples:

The poor are treated as second-class citizens.

adjective

Relating to the normal level of service offered, especially on a train

Usage examples:

She was sitting in one of the second-class compartments., second-class fares/tickets/travel, a seco…

adjective

Not of good quality

Usage examples:

A second-rate hotel

adjective

Expressing or feeling criticism of yourself

Usage examples:

He was in a disillusioned, self-reproachful mood, dwelling on his past mistakes., here her flood of…

adjective

Feeling or expressing shame or embarrassment.

Usage examples:

All the boys looked shamefaced

adjective

Awkward and embarrassed or ashamed

Usage examples:

He looked somewhat shamefaced when he realized his mistake.

adjective

Badly made or done.

Usage examples:

We're not paying good money for shoddy goods

noun

An inferior quality yarn or fabric made from the shredded fibre of waste woollen cloth or clippings.

Usage examples:

The production of shoddy and mattress stuffing

adjective

Made or done without care

Usage examples:

The furniture is shoddy and cheap.

adjective

Wicked and immoral; committing or characterized by the committing of sins.

Usage examples:

Sinful men

adjective

Feeling sad or distressed through sympathy with someone else's misfortune.

Usage examples:

I was sorry to hear about what happened to your family

adjective

Having an acid taste like lemon or vinegar.

Usage examples:

She sampled the wine and found it was sour

noun

A drink made by mixing a spirit with lemon or lime juice.

Usage examples:

A rum sour

verb

Make or become sour.

Usage examples:

Water soured with tamarind

adjective

Not being what it purports to be; false or fake.

Usage examples:

Separating authentic and spurious claims

adjective

Below the usual or required standard.

Usage examples:

Substandard housing

adjective

Below a satisfactory standard

Usage examples:

There’s plenty of substandard child care available.

adjective

Extremely bad or serious.

Usage examples:

A terrible crime

adjective

Not satisfactory or allowable.

Usage examples:

Unacceptable behaviour

adjective

Too bad to be accepted, approved of, or allowed to continue

Usage examples:

These mistakes are unacceptable., the proposal is unacceptable to theater owners.

adjective

Expressing or showing a lack of approval or support.

Usage examples:

Single mothers are often the target of unfavourable press attention

adjective

Not good, and likely to cause problems or prevent success

Usage examples:

Other countries may lure private equity executives offshore if the tax regime in britain became unf…

adjective

Not giving you an advantage or a good chance of success

Usage examples:

Current conditions are very unfavourable for new businesses., we have to be prepared for an unfavou…

adjective

Having or marked by bad fortune; unlucky.

Usage examples:

There'd been an unfortunate accident

noun

A person who suffers bad fortune.

Usage examples:

Those unfortunates whose lives are marred by poverty

adjective

Having, bringing, or resulting from bad luck.

Usage examples:

An unlucky defeat

adjective

Having or bringing bad luck

Usage examples:

For the unlucky people who get the flu, the health department advises: stay home!

adjective

Causing discomfort, unhappiness, or revulsion; disagreeable.

Usage examples:

An unpleasant smell

adjective

Not attractive or enjoyable or easy to like

Usage examples:

An unpleasant surprise, unpleasant memories, an unpleasant young man, rob chuckled unpleasantly.

adjective

Not satisfactory; not good enough.

Usage examples:

Years of living in unsatisfactory rented accommodation

adjective

(of a guest or new arrival) not gladly received.

Usage examples:

Guards kept out unwelcome visitors

adjective

Relating to, constituting, or guilty of wicked or criminal behaviour.

Usage examples:

A villainous plot

adjective

A villainous person or an action is evil

Usage examples:

A villainous dictator

adjective

Evil or morally wrong.

Usage examples:

A wicked and unscrupulous politician

verb

Absorb or draw off (liquid) by capillary action.

Usage examples:

Garments that wick moisture away from the skin

adjective

Morally wrong and bad

Usage examples:

He was a wicked, ruthless, and dishonest man., she has a wicked sense of humor., the demands of fun…

adjective

Containing small holes that were made by the young of particular types of insect, especially woodworm

Usage examples:

A worm-eaten table/beam

adjective

(of organic tissue) infested with or eaten into by worms.

Usage examples:

The prisoners received wormy vegetables

adjective

Containing worms, or infected or damaged by worms

Usage examples:

Look at these vegetables - they're all mottled and wormy.

adjective

Having no real value or use.

Usage examples:

That promise is worthless

adjective

Having no value in money

Usage examples:

Now that the company has gone bankrupt, your contract is worthless., examples of this artist’s earl…

adjective

Having no value

Usage examples:

The stock is virtually worthless, trading at less than 6 cents a share., the security system he bou…

adjective

Inflicted with a wound; injured.

Usage examples:

A wounded soldier

verb

Inflict a wound on.

Usage examples:

The sergeant was seriously wounded

adjective

Offended or upset by what someone has said or done

Usage examples:

A wounded expression, wounded pride, a wounded soldier, ambulances took the wounded to nearby hospi…