Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BAD, a. [Pers. بَدْ‎‎ bad, evil, depraved; allied perhaps to Ar. بَادَ bada. Heb. Ch. Syr. and Sam. אבד abad, to perish or destroy.]

1. Ill; evil; opposed to good; a word of general use, denoting physical defects and moral faults, in men and things; as, a bad man, a bad heart, a bad design, bad air, bad water, bad books.
2. Vicious; corrupt; depraved, in a moral sense; as, a bad life; a bad action.
3. Unwholesome; as, bad provisions.
4. Unfortunate; unprosperous; as, a bad state of affairs.
5. Unskillful; as, a bad player.
6. Small; poor; as, a bad crop.
7. Infirm; as, a bad state of health.
8. Feeble, corrupt, or oppressive; as, a bad government.
9. Hurtful; pernicious; as, fine print is bad for the eyes.
10. Unfavorable; as, a bad season.
11. Poor; steril; as, a bad soil.
12. Rough or muddy; as, a bad road. In short, bad expresses whatever is injurious, hurtful, inconvenient, unlawful or immoral; whatever is offensive, painful or unfavorable; or what is defective.