General Negative:
* Poor: More neutral and often used for quality, e.g., "poor performance."
* Unsatisfactory: Formal and emphasizes not meeting expectations.
* Awful: Stronger than "bad" and expresses a higher degree of negativity.
* Terrible: Even stronger than "awful," implying extreme dislike.
* Dreadful: Formal and emphasizes unpleasantness.
* Horrible: Very strong and indicates something shocking or horrifying.
* Wicked: Informal and can also imply malicious intent.
Negative for People/Behavior:
* Evil: Indicates moral corruption or wickedness.
* Vicious: Suggests cruelty and violence.
* Depraved: Implies a lack of moral standards.
* Rotten: Informal and implies a complete lack of goodness.
* Corrupt: Indicates a lack of integrity or honesty.
* Mean: Informal and refers to unkind or unpleasant behavior.
* Nasty: Informal and describes something unpleasant or offensive.
Negative for Things:
* Defective: Used for objects that are faulty or not working properly.
* Damaged: Used for objects that have been broken or physically harmed.
* Spoiled: Used for food that is no longer good to eat.
* Stale: Used for food or other items that have lost freshness.
* Unpleasant: Neutral and describes something that is disliked.
* Unfavorable: Formal and indicates something negative or disadvantageous.
Other Synonyms:
* Wrong: Used when something is incorrect or unethical.
* Unfortunate: Describes something that is regrettable or unlucky.
* Disastrous: Indicates a significant negative event or outcome.
* Harmful: Used for something that causes damage or injury.
* Dangerous: Used for something that poses a threat or risk.
The best word to use will depend on the specific situation and the desired tone.