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Prepositions after adjectives

Bad for vs bad of

Bad for describes harmful effects. Bad of describes behaviour that is unfair, rude, or unkind.

Quick answer

How to use bad for and bad of

Use bad for when something harms a person or thing. Use bad of someone when judging a person's action or behaviour.

Smoking is bad for your lungs.
It was bad of him to ignore her message.
Too much salt is bad for dogs.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
bad for + person or thing

Showing harm or negative effects

Use bad for to describe something unhealthy, damaging, or harmful.

This food is bad for children.
Stress can be bad for your sleep.
2
bad of + person + to-infinitive

Judging someone's behaviour

Use bad of before a person when criticising an action.

It was bad of her to laugh.
That was bad of them to leave early.
3
too bad for + noun

Saying something is unsuitable

Bad for can also mean unsuitable or difficult for someone or something.

The weather was too bad for flying.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
bad for
Fast food is bad for your health.
harmful to someone or something
bad of
It was bad of him to lie.
showing disapproval of a person's behaviour
bad at
She is bad at maths.
not skilled at something
bad with
He is bad with names.
not good at handling something

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using bad of for harmful effects

Use bad for when talking about damage or negative effects.

✕ Coffee is bad of your heart. ✓ Coffee is bad for your heart.

Using bad for to criticise behaviour

Use bad of someone when judging an action.

✕ It was bad for him to shout at you. ✓ It was bad of him to shout at you.

Missing the person after bad of

Bad of normally refers to a person.

✕ It was bad of to cancel the meeting. ✓ It was bad of them to cancel the meeting.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. Too much screen time is ___ your eyes.
2. It was ___ her to forget your birthday.
3. He is bad ___ remembering passwords.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I say bad of something?

Bad of usually refers to a person's behaviour, not a thing.

Is bad for always about health?

No. It can describe any harmful effect, including emotional or practical harm.

What is the difference between bad for and bad at?

Bad for means harmful. Bad at means not skilled.

baffling to, for, in, as or of? bankrupt in, by, for, as or with? "barefoot in" or "barefoot on"? "bare of", "bare with" or "bare in"? "basic of" or "basic to"? beautiful in, with, on, for or to? beholden to, for or on? "beloved by", "beloved to" or "beloved of"? "bemused by" or "bemused at"? "beneficial to" or "beneficial for"? bereft of, at, by, in or without? bewildered by, at, as, with or in?

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