Mauvais is the most common way to say “bad” in French. But did you know there are many other options to express different shades of "badness"? As you learn French, you'll undoubtedly encounter situations where you need to describe something as not good – whether it's a movie, a day, or even a person. Knowing a variety of words will help you express yourself with more precision and fluency. Let’s dive into 9 different ways to say “bad” in French and when to use them!

The standard 'bad' or 'poor quality' – mauvais/mauvaise

The standard 'bad' or 'poor quality' – mauvais/mauvaise

In French, mauvais(e) serves as the primary and most common adjective for expressing 'bad' or 'poor quality'.

As an adjective, mauvais must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Here are its forms:<ul><li>mauvais: masculine singular (e.g., un mauvais livre - a bad book)</li><li>mauvaise: feminine singular (e.g., une mauvaise idée - a bad idea)</li><li>mauvais: masculine plural (e.g., de mauvais élèves - bad students, or a mix of genders)</li><li>mauvaises: feminine plural (e.g., de mauvaises nouvelles - bad news)</ul>

Unlike some adjectives, mauvais(e) almost always precedes the noun it modifies. This placement is a key characteristic of its usage.

While often referring to 'poor quality' (un mauvais repas - a bad meal), mauvais(e) can also describe something 'morally bad' or 'unpleasant' (une mauvaise personne - a bad person).

Beyond 'bad,' mauvais(e) frequently conveys the meaning of 'wrong' or 'unsuitable' in various contexts. For example, la mauvaise réponse means the wrong answer.

Observe how the meaning shifts with context: C'est une mauvaise habitude (It's a bad habit). J'ai pris le mauvais train (I took the wrong train). Il fait toujours les mauvais choix (He always makes the wrong/bad choices).

You'll encounter mauvais(e) in many fixed expressions: être de mauvaise humeur (to be in a bad mood), avoir mauvaise mine (to look unwell), un mauvais pressentiment (a bad feeling/premonition), and faire un mauvais coup (to play a dirty trick).

It's important to distinguish mauvais(e) from méchant(e). While mauvais often describes quality, suitability, or general badness, méchant specifically refers to someone or something being 'mean,' 'nasty,' or 'malicious' (e.g., un enfant méchant - a mean child).

Despite its various nuances, determining the precise meaning of mauvais(e) is usually straightforward, as the surrounding context provides ample clues.

💡 * C'est une mauvaise idée. (It's a bad idea.)

• J'ai mangé un mauvais repas. (I ate a bad meal.)
• Elle est de mauvaise humeur aujourd'hui. (She's in a bad mood today.)
• Tu as pris la mauvaise route. (You took the wrong road.)
• Il a de mauvaises intentions. (He has bad intentions.)

The 'nasty' or 'mean' (often for people/actions) – méchant/méchante

The “nasty” or “mean” (often for people/actions) – méchant/méchante

In French, to describe someone or something as “nasty,” “mean,” or even “wicked,” you'll often use the adjective méchant (masculine singular) or méchante (feminine singular).

As an adjective, méchant must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. So, it becomes méchante for a feminine singular noun, méchants for masculine plural, and méchantes for feminine plural.

This word is frequently applied to people, especially children, to describe their behavior as unkind, cruel, or mischievous. It often implies a deliberate intent to cause harm or discomfort, ranging from playful naughtiness to genuine malice.

Beyond people, méchant can also describe actions, words, or even animals. For instance, a méchante blague is a nasty joke, a méchant coup is a nasty blow, and a méchant chien could be a mean dog.

While its intensity can vary depending on context, méchant generally carries a strong negative connotation, suggesting ill will or unpleasantness. It’s a more direct and often stronger term than simply “not nice.”

The direct opposite of méchant/méchante is gentil/gentille, meaning “kind” or “nice.” This contrast helps highlight the negative nature of méchant.

💡 * Pourquoi es-tu si méchant avec elle ? (Why are you so mean to her?)

• C'est une méchante blague. (That's a nasty joke.)
• Le loup était très méchant dans le conte de fées. (The wolf was very wicked in the fairy tale.)
• Elle a dit des choses méchantes. (She said mean things.)
• Ne sois pas méchant ! (Don't be mean!)

The 'lame' or 'rubbish' (often for quality or performance) – nul/nulle

When you want to express that something is 'lame,' 'rubbish,' 'useless,' or 'terrible' in French, the adjective you're looking for is nul/nulle.

Like most French adjectives, nul changes its form to agree with the noun it modifies in gender and number: nul (masculine singular), nulle (feminine singular), nuls (masculine plural), and nulles (feminine plural).

Most commonly, nul/nulle is used to describe something of very poor quality, a bad performance, or something that simply isn't good. Think of it as saying 'this is rubbish' or 'that was terrible'.

You can also use nul/nulle to describe a person who is bad at something, useless, or incompetent in a particular area. For example, 'Je suis nul en maths' means 'I'm terrible at math'.

It's important to note that nul/nulle is generally used in an informal context. While widely understood, it's more common in casual conversation among friends or family than in formal settings.

A very common expression you'll hear is 'C'est nul!' which translates to 'That's rubbish!', 'It's lame!', or 'It's terrible!'. It's a quick and emphatic way to express disapproval.

💡 * Ce film est vraiment nul. (This movie is really rubbish/lame.)

• Elle est nulle en cuisine. (She's terrible at cooking.)
• Leur nouvelle chanson est nulle. (Their new song is rubbish.)
• Mon ordinateur est nul, il est trop lent. (My computer is useless, it's too slow.)
• Nous sommes nuls au foot. (We are terrible at soccer.)

The 'terrible' or 'awful' – terrible

The “terrible” or “awful” – terrible

In French, the adjective terrible primarily translates to “terrible,” “awful,” or “dreadful” in English. It describes something extremely bad, unpleasant, or severe.

However, in a more informal and contemporary context, especially among younger French speakers, terrible can also be used to express something exceptionally good, great, or awesome. This usage is similar to how English speakers might use “wicked” or “sick” to mean excellent.

The meaning often depends heavily on the context, intonation, and the speaker's tone. When used positively, it emphasizes an extreme degree of something impressive or remarkable, rather than negative severity.

💡 * C'est une nouvelle terrible. (It's terrible news.)

• J'ai eu une journée terrible. (I had a terrible day.)
• Ce concert était terrible ! (This concert was awesome!)
• Elle a un talent terrible pour la musique. (She has an incredible talent for music.)
• Ne fais pas cette terrible erreur. (Don't make that terrible mistake.)

The 'horrible' or 'dreadful' – horrible

The French adjective horrible directly translates to 'horrible' or 'dreadful' in English, conveying a strong sense of unpleasantness or terror.

It describes something that causes horror, disgust, or extreme discomfort. It's a powerful adjective used for very negative reactions.

Horrible agrees in number with the noun (add 's' for plural, e.g., des films horribles). It is, however, invariable in gender: un temps horrible, une situation horrible.

You'll often hear horrible used for bad weather, terrible news, unpleasant experiences, or morally reprehensible behavior.

While strong, it's commonly used in everyday language. It's similar to terrible or affreux, but often implies a more visceral sense of dread or revulsion.

💡 * Le temps est horrible aujourd'hui. (The weather is horrible today.)

• J'ai vu un film horrible hier soir. (I saw a dreadful movie last night.)
• C'était une expérience horrible. (It was a horrible experience.)
• Ces nouvelles sont absolument horribles. (This news is absolutely dreadful.)
• Son comportement était horrible. (His behavior was horrible.)

The 'hideous' or 'awful' (often for appearance or conditions) – affreux/affreuse

The French adjectives affreux (masculine singular) and affreuse (feminine singular) both translate to 'hideous,' 'awful,' 'dreadful,' or 'terrible.' They are used to describe something or someone that is extremely unpleasant to look at or experience.

Like most French adjectives, affreux and affreuse must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. The plural forms are affreux (masculine plural) and affreuses (feminine plural).

You'll frequently hear affreux/affreuse used to comment on physical appearance, whether it's a person, an object, or even an outfit. It conveys a strong sense of ugliness or unattractiveness.

Beyond appearance, these adjectives are also commonly applied to describe unfavorable or terrible conditions, events, or situations. Think of 'awful weather' or 'dreadful news'.

Affreux and affreuse are quite strong adjectives. They imply a significant level of unpleasantness, more intense than simply mauvais (bad) or laid (ugly). Use them when you want to emphasize how truly terrible something is.

💡 * Ce pull est affreux ! (This sweater is hideous!)

• Elle a une affreuse cicatrice sur le bras. (She has an awful scar on her arm.)
• La météo est affreuse aujourd'hui. (The weather is awful today.)
• J'ai passé une journée affreuse au travail. (I had a dreadful day at work.)
• C'était un spectacle affreux à voir. (It was a hideous sight to behold.)

The 'worse' (comparative form of bad) – pire

In French, to express something as worse or the worst, we use the word pire. It serves as the comparative form of the adjective mauvais (bad) and the adverb mal (badly).

Unlike many adjectives, pire is invariable when used on its own as a comparative (e.g., C'est pire - It's worse). However, when it modifies a noun, it functions as an adjective and agrees in number with the noun, but not in gender (e.g., les pires moments - the worst moments). It can also act as an adverb, meaning 'more badly' or 'worse'.

While plus mauvais technically exists and means 'more bad', pire is almost always preferred and sounds more natural and idiomatic in French. Pire carries a stronger, more inherent sense of 'worse' or 'worst', making plus mauvais often sound clumsy or incorrect to native speakers, especially in everyday conversation.

💡 * C'est pire que ce que je pensais. (It's worse than what I thought.)

• Le temps est de pire en pire. (The weather is getting worse and worse.)
• C'est la pire décision qu'il ait jamais prise. (It's the worst decision he has ever made.)
• Ses résultats sont pires cette année. (His results are worse this year.)
• Ne fais pas pire ! (Don't make it worse!)

The 'harmful' or 'detrimental' – néfaste

The adjective néfaste translates to "harmful" or "detrimental" in English, describing something with a negative or damaging impact.

As an adjective, néfaste is used to qualify something that causes damage, ill effects, or is generally bad for a situation, person, or thing. It's often associated with consequences or influences.

This word is typically applied to abstract concepts like effects, influences, decisions, habits, or policies that lead to undesirable outcomes. It strongly implies a negative and often insidious impact.

A useful grammatical point for learners: néfaste is invariable, meaning it does not change its form for gender (masculine/feminine) or number (singular/plural) when modifying a noun. For example, les effets néfastes (the harmful effects) and une influence néfaste (a harmful influence).

💡 * La pollution a des effets néfastes sur l'environnement. (Pollution has harmful effects on the environment.)

• Ce type de régime alimentaire peut être néfaste pour la santé. (This type of diet can be detrimental to health.)
• Son influence est néfaste pour le moral de l'équipe. (His/Her influence is detrimental to the team's morale.)
• Les conséquences de cette décision pourraient être néfastes à long terme. (The consequences of this decision could be harmful in the long term.)

The 'deplorable' or 'lamentable' – déplorable

The French adjective déplorable directly translates to 'deplorable' or 'lamentable' in English. It describes something that is extremely bad, regrettable, or shocking, often evoking a sense of disapproval or pity.

Unlike simply 'bad,' déplorable carries a strong negative connotation, implying a situation, behavior, or condition that is deeply unsatisfactory, regrettable, or even scandalous. It suggests something that is worthy of censure or sorrow.

A key point for learners is that déplorable is an invariable adjective. This means it does not change its form to agree in gender (masculine/feminine) or number (singular/plural) with the noun it modifies. It always remains déplorable.

Déplorable is frequently used to describe conditions (e.g., living conditions, state of a building), behavior (e.g., attitude, actions), or situations (e.g., a decision, an event) that are considered unacceptable, scandalous, or deeply disappointing.

💡 *Les conditions de vie dans ce camp sont déplorables. (The living conditions in this camp are deplorable.)
*Son attitude était vraiment déplorable. (His attitude was truly lamentable/deplorable.)
*C'est une situation déplorable pour tout le monde. (It's a deplorable situation for everyone.)
*Le service client était déplorable, j'ai dû attendre des heures. (The customer service was lamentable, I had to wait for hours.)
*Cette décision a eu des conséquences déplorables. (This decision had deplorable consequences.)

Are there other ways to say 'bad' in French?

Are there other ways to say “bad” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “bad” in French. But there are other terms, from old-fashioned ones, to regional ones, to up-and-coming slang ones this middle-aged author might not even be aware of!

You can also do an online search for “comment dire mauvais en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region.

You might find some interesting synonyms for mauvais on this list. Of course, make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover different ways to talk about things being bad.

And if you’re looking for ways to talk about different kinds of 'bad' or words about 'badness' in French, the WordReference entry for mauvais is a great place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful. Here’s what I think is the perfect quote to finish it with, a common French proverb: À quelque chose malheur est bon. (There is some good in every misfortune.)