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Bad


Bad

Bad is a small word with hundreds of meanings. It has its origins from long ago (1250–1300) in the Old English word baeddel, meaning womanish man, or hermaphrodite. Today in its slang form it can mean its opposite, in the same way that calling something 'sick' means that it's really cool.

About Bad

Bad means not good, as in 'bad weather', 'bad health', or 'bad attitude'. It can also mean 'spoiled' when referring to food, as in 'I ate some bad food and got food poisoning'. When placed in front of the word 'news' it can mean that you'd better get ready to hear something that you're not going to be happy about.

'Bad' can also refer to behavior, as in 'If you are bad at school you will be sent home'. Or to a lack of skill, as in 'I'm bad at fishing and hunting'. When used to refer to feelings, 'bad' can have more subtle meanings, as in 'I felt bad about breaking up, but I had no choice'. Or 'I felt bad about the way I treated you'. If used as a modifier, it can mean that something negative was even more unpleasant than usual, as in 'I had a bad stomach ache' or 'I had a bad case of acne'.

When appearing before the word 'ass', it conveys an especially dangerous or intimidating nature, as in 'He was a real bad-ass'. 'Bad-ass' can also have the opposite meaning, as in 'it was a bad-ass album that spent four months on Billboard's Hot 100'.

Even just plain 'bad' can mean good. As in, 'he was the baddest blues piano player that ever lived'.

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