Copy word

Thai

แย่

Pronunciation

yɛ̂ɛ

แย่

yɛ̂ɛ

bad

A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.

  1. 1 bad、poor、terrible、unwell、badly
  2. 2 Oh no!、That’s terrible!

Describes something as well below an acceptable or expected standard, whether in quality, performance, condition, or circumstances. It can also express an immediate reaction such as “Oh no!”

1

bad、poor、terrible、unwell、badly

Adjective⭐️5 Essential

Describes poor quality, performance, condition, feelings, or circumstances.

Show more (1)
2

Oh no!、That’s terrible!

Interjection⭐️4 Often used Casual

Expresses alarm or dismay upon noticing a problem, or sympathy and disappointment in response to bad news.

Show more (1)

Learning notes

Explanation

The core idea of แย่ is that something falls well below a desirable or expected standard. It applies broadly to quality, service, ability, performance, health, feelings, relationships, and situations. It can stand directly as a predicate, as in บริการแย่, “The service is bad.” After an action, as in เขาเล่นแย่, it evaluates the performance and means “He plays badly.” Common patterns include แย่มาก “very bad,” แย่กว่า “worse,” แย่ที่สุด “worst,” and แย่ลง “get worse.” แย่แล้ว! is a frequent exclamation meaning “Oh no!” or “This is bad!”

Usage

Commonly used to criticize products, food, movies, services, grades, or job performance. It also describes poor health, emotional distress, and troubling circumstances. In conversation, แย่แล้ว! reacts to a newly noticed problem, while แย่จังเลย can express disappointment or sympathy after hearing bad news.

Caution

Saying คุณแย่ directly to someone can sound like a strong condemnation of their character: “You’re terrible.” For a gentler comment on ability, ไม่เก่ง, “not very good at it,” is usually safer. รู้สึกแย่ can refer to either physical discomfort or emotional distress, so context determines the meaning. Also, แย่ is not a universal translation of “bad”; เสีย is generally used for broken machinery or spoiled food.

Differences from similar words

1 bad synonyms

  • เลวร้าย is somewhat more formal and usually describes something seriously or disastrously bad. แย่ is more common in everyday speech and covers a wider range of negative evaluations.

  • ไม่ดี is a milder, broadly applicable way to say “not good.” แย่ is more strongly negative and often means “bad” or “terrible.”

2 Oh no! synonyms

  • ตายแล้ว is a conversational exclamation of surprise or alarm, similar to “Oh my!” or “Oh no!” แย่แล้ว more specifically signals that the situation has become bad or troublesome.

Share or cite this page

You are welcome to link to this page from blogs, social media, articles, and other materials. Quotations are welcome, too.

Send feedback

Let us know about errors, anything that seems unclear, or suggested corrections.

Content production and review

Thai content last reviewed

The Thai meaning, naturalness, examples, and pronunciation in this entry have been reviewed by a native Thai editor. We always welcome reports of errors and suggested corrections through the link above.

See our editorial and English localization process