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Synonyms

bad faith

American  

noun

  1. lack of honesty and trust.

    Bad faith on the part of both negotiators doomed the talks from the outset.
bad faith British  

noun

  1. intention to deceive; treachery or dishonesty (esp in the phrase in bad faith )

  2. Also called: mauvaise foi.  (in the philosophy of the 20th-century French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre) self-deception, as when an agent regards his actions as conditioned by circumstances or conventions in order to evade his own responsibility for choosing them freely

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • bad-faith adjective

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Among its accusations, the labor group also said that guild management has “surveilled workers for union activity, terminated union supporters, and engaged in bad faith surface bargaining.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026

Fattah said he took allegations of antisemitism "very seriously" while arguing some of the posts had been "misunderstood, seemingly in bad faith".

From BBC • Dec. 28, 2025

External link of acting in bad faith by considering additional duties on steel and aluminum products.

From Barron's • Dec. 10, 2025

Cox’s indifference to repeat infringement is condemnable, but a sweeping ruling could harshly punish thousands for one company’s bad faith.

From Slate • Nov. 28, 2025

He demanded the return of his gifts, which she had accepted in bad faith.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.