bad
bad — noun
1. all the unpleasant, harmful, or morally wrong things that exist in life or that
all the unpleasant, harmful, or morally wrong things that exist in life or that people do — the opposite of 'the good'
Dario learned that life has both good and bad, and you must accept both.
the good and the bad — paired opposites
The charity works to reduce the bad that poverty brings to children in Taipei.
When Yael signed the rental agreement, she accepted the good with the bad.
Kenji's grandfather said the bad in people's hearts can be changed by kindness.
Madison tried to focus on the good instead of the bad after her surgery.
- good
the direct opposite — positive, beneficial, or morally right things
文法句型
the + bad
the good and the bad
用法筆記
Always used with 'the' as an uncountable mass noun. Cannot be used with 'a' or in plural form ('bads').
常見錯誤
bad — adjective
1. describing something that makes you feel unhappy, upset, or annoyed
describing something that makes you feel unhappy, upset, or annoyed
The weather turned bad, so the school closed the playground for the day.
collocation: bad weather / bad news / bad smell
Rania had a bad day at work after her computer broke down.
There is a bad smell coming from the old refrigerator in the kitchen.
Jason heard some bad news about his cousin's car accident.
The service at that hotel was so bad that Ziad asked for a refund.
- unpleasant
more formal and less common in everyday speech
- terrible
stronger degree of unpleasantness
- awful
similar strength to 'terrible', very common in conversation
- good
general opposite of unpleasant
用法筆記
Often used in weather forecasts, reports of news, and descriptions of experiences or conditions.
常見錯誤
2. not made or done well enough; below the standard you expect
not made or done well enough; below the standard you expect
The film was so bad that Manuela fell asleep halfway through.
collocation: bad film / bad food / bad grade
Lakshmi bought a cheap watch, but the quality was too bad to use.
The food at the new café tasted bad and was not cooked properly.
Hassan received a bad grade on his essay because of spelling mistakes.
3. showing little skill or producing poor results in a particular area or activity
showing little skill or producing poor results in a particular area or activity
Tanvi is a bad cook, so her family orders takeout most nights.
pattern: be bad at [activity] or be a bad [agent noun]
Dario is really bad with directions and gets lost very easily.
The team had a bad season and lost twelve games in a row.
Christopher was a bad student who never handed in homework on time.
文法句型
be bad at [something]
be bad with [something]
用法筆記
Followed by 'at' for skills (bad at maths) or 'with' for tools and abstract things (bad with money, bad with names).
常見錯誤
4. very serious in degree or effect, often causing significant difficulty or harm
very serious in degree or effect, often causing significant difficulty or harm
The storm caused bad damage to dozens of houses along the coast.
collocation: bad damage / bad cough / bad traffic jam
Nellie had such a bad cough that she could not sleep at night.
A bad traffic jam on the highway made Élise late for her meeting.
The company where Nia works suffered a bad loss after the fire.
用法筆記
Common before nouns describing problems, injuries, or negative events. Not used before people (you cannot say a 'bad person' to mean a severely ill person).
5. having a harmful effect on the body or mind; likely to cause illness or injury
having a harmful effect on the body or mind; likely to cause illness or injury
Eating too much sugar is bad for your teeth, says the dentist.
pattern: be bad for [body part or health]
Hyun stopped eating fast food because he read it is bad for the heart.
Mayumi thinks that sitting at a desk for eight hours is bad for her back.
The air quality in the city was so bad that children wore masks to school.
文法句型
be bad for [noun]
用法筆記
Typically followed by 'for' + the thing that is harmed. Also used about air quality, food, habits, and environments.
常見錯誤
6. morally wrong and deliberately harmful, describing a person or their actions
morally wrong and deliberately harmful, describing a person or their actions
The villain in the story is a bad man who wants to destroy the village.
register: describes people or actions that are morally wrong
Sofia knew that lying about the money she lost was a bad thing to do.
Lotte felt terrible about the bad thing she said to upset her classmate.
The dictator did many bad things to keep himself in power for decades.
用法筆記
Weaker than 'evil' in modern use — 'bad' here describes everyday moral failings as well as serious wrongdoing, while 'evil' is reserved for extreme cruelty.
7. not right for a particular purpose, person, or occasion because of a mismatch in
not right for a particular purpose, person, or occasion because of a mismatch in what is needed or wanted.
This old chair is bad for your back — it offers almost no support.
collocation: bad for + body part
Hui thought late afternoon was a bad time to meet because of heavy traffic.
collocation: a bad time to do sth
The muddy path was a bad place for a wedding ceremony in high heels.
Élise realized her bright dress was bad for a job interview at the bank.
Sunday is a bad day to visit the museum because it closes at noon.
- unsuitable
more formal; very close in meaning
- inappropriate
formal; often used for behaviour or dress
- wrong
common but broader; can mean incorrect as well as unsuitable
- good
the standard everyday opposite
- suitable
more formal; describes a good match for a purpose
- appropriate
formal; socially or situationally correct
文法句型
bad for + noun / -ing
bad + infinitive
用法筆記
Common in the patterns 'bad for + noun/gerund' and 'a bad + noun + infinitive'. Subject is typically a time, place, object, or situation that does not match what is needed. Distinguish from sense 1 (UNPLEASANT): this sense describes a poor match, not a feeling of unhappiness.
常見錯誤
8. hurting or making a part of your body hurt, usually because of injury, disease,
hurting or making a part of your body hurt, usually because of injury, disease, or overuse.
Hyun has a bad knee and cannot run very far these days.
structure: have a bad + body part
After the long hike, Lucía's feet were so bad that she could barely walk.
predicative: feet were bad
The cold winter air makes my grandmother's arthritis worse, and she feels bad all season.
A bad toothache kept Ishaan awake until the dentist opened in the morning.
Defne saw a doctor about her bad back after weeks at a computer.
文法句型
have / get + bad + body part
bad + body-part noun
用法筆記
Frequently used with body parts (a bad back / knee / tooth / leg) to describe an injury or chronic condition. Can also describe general physical discomfort. Less formal than 'painful' and 'sore' in writing.
常見錯誤
9. having spoiled and no longer in a condition that is suitable for eating.
having spoiled and no longer in a condition that is suitable for eating.
Ada smelled the milk and realised it had gone bad overnight.
phrasal pattern: go bad
Eli threw away the bad apples before they spoiled his fruit basket.
attributive: bad + food noun
The chicken was bad, so Yasmin did not serve it to her dinner guests.
If the bread smells bad, do not eat it — it is probably no longer fresh.
Hoa checked the eggs and threw out the ones that had gone bad.
文法句型
go bad
bad + food noun
用法筆記
Restricted to food and organic matter; never used for broken or worn-out objects. The phrase 'go bad' is a common phrasal expression that describes the process of food spoiling over time.
常見錯誤
bad — adverb
1. used in everyday spoken English instead of 'badly' to say that you want, need, o
used in everyday spoken English instead of 'badly' to say that you want, need, or feel something extremely
Sora wanted to go to the festival so bad that he saved money for months.
want + so bad — colloquial intensifier for desire
Lakan's knee hurt so bad after the match that he could not walk.
hurt + so bad — intensifier for physical sensation
Apinya missed her family so bad during her first year in Japan.
The old refrigerator rattled so bad that the landlord finally replaced it.
Ilan needed a shower so bad after working outside all afternoon.
- badly
standard adverb form; use in formal contexts
- very much
neutral register, works in both formal and informal English
- terribly
similar intensity but more emphatic; e.g. 'want terribly'
- desperately
stronger emotional urgency; e.g. 'need desperately'
文法句型
want/need/miss + so bad
hurt + so bad
用法筆記
Informal only — do not use this adverb in formal writing or academic contexts. Choose 'badly' or 'very much' instead. Most common with verbs of desire (want, need) and physical sensation (hurt).