perform bad

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'perform bad' is not correct usage in written English.
The phrase should be 'perform poorly' instead. For example: John's team performed poorly in the competition, so they didn't make it to the finals.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

Similar to the static data case, CH, I, D S, DB, and SD perform bad in the streaming settings.

Vietnam Journal of Computer Science

Similar to the static data case, S, DB, XB, and SD perform bad in the streaming settings.

Vietnam Journal of Computer Science

WATCH Richard Thompson perform "Bad Again".

Huffington Post

The girls and Kurt Chris Colferr) create costumes inspired by Lady Gaga and perform "Bad Romance".

Wikipedia

The Dalton Academy Warblers return in this episode, and perform "Bad" with New Directions, which was shot on location in a "parking garage just outside the Paramount Studio gates".

Wikipedia

In fact, there are hackers who drive around searching for unsecured wireless connections (networks) using a wireless laptop and portable global positioning system (GPS) with the sole purpose of stealing your information or using your network to perform bad deeds.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

The biggest roar came when Mr. Ocean performed "Bad Religion," a song lamenting an unrequited love for a man.

The New York Times - Arts

On July 9, he made his television debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and performed "Bad Religion" with backing from the show's house band The Roots and a strings section.

Wikipedia

Gaga has performed "Bad Romance" on various television programs, such as Saturday Night Live, at various award ceremonies, such as the 2009 American Music Awards, and in three of her tours, the most recent being ArtRave: The Artpop Ball.

Wikipedia

The girls and Kurt then create costumes inspired by Gaga and perform "Bad Romance".

Wikipedia

RI-Word did perform relatively bad, and there are reasons to believe that performance gains can be achieved through adjusting and/or optimizing the utilized weighting (cf. TF*IDF), vector normalization, and model training parameters [ 68, 69].

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "perform poorly" or a similar grammatically correct alternative instead of "perform bad". This ensures clarity and credibility in your writing.

Common error

Avoid using the adjective "bad" when the adverb "badly" or "poorly" is required to modify the verb "perform". Remember that adjectives describe nouns, while adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "perform bad" functions as a verb phrase intended to describe the quality of an action. However, Ludwig AI flags it as grammatically incorrect, suggesting that the adverb "poorly" should be used instead of the adjective "bad".

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

31%

Science

44%

Wiki

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "perform bad" appears in various sources, it is generally considered grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI suggests using "perform poorly" instead. The phrase is most commonly found in News & Media and Scientific contexts, but its informal register and grammatical issues make it less suitable for professional or academic writing. Always opt for grammatically correct alternatives to ensure clarity and credibility.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

perform poorly

Replaces the adjective "bad" with the adverb "poorly" to correct the grammatical structure.

execute badly

Substitutes "perform" with "execute" and "bad" with "badly", focusing on the manner of execution.

act inappropriately

Replaces "perform" with "act" and shifts the focus to inappropriate behavior.

behave badly

Focuses on behavior rather than performance, using the adverb "badly" to modify the verb.

function inadequately

Emphasizes a lack of adequate functioning, suitable for technical or formal contexts.

operate deficiently

Highlights a deficiency in operation, appropriate for describing systems or processes.

do a poor job

Uses a more common and straightforward expression to indicate inadequate performance.

create a negative outcome

Shifts focus from the action itself to the resulting negative consequence.

make a mess of

Uses an informal idiom to describe a situation where something is done very poorly.

drop the ball

Employs a common idiom to express failure to meet expectations or perform adequately.

FAQs

What's the correct way to say "perform bad"?

The grammatically correct way to express the idea of performing badly is to say "perform poorly". The word "poorly" is an adverb that correctly modifies the verb "perform".

Is "perform bad" ever correct?

No, "perform bad" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. The correct phrase to use is "perform poorly".

What are some alternatives to "perform bad" that I can use in formal writing?

In formal writing, you can use phrases like "execute badly", "function inadequately", or "operate deficiently" instead of "perform bad".

How does "perform poorly" differ in meaning from "act inappropriately"?

"Perform poorly" specifically refers to the quality of the execution of a task or function. "Act inappropriately", on the other hand, refers to behavior that is unsuitable for a particular situation.