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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.

Theodore Boutrous, a Times lawyer, accused the administration at a hearing before Friedman in a Washington court on Monday of "gaslighting" and "bad faith."

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 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

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

“Yes, you’re right,” Jaime would grudgingly admit with a rectitude that prevented him from arguing in bad faith.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

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.