Meaning & use
bad actors
Last updated
“bad actors” is a form of “bad actor”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounplural
people or organizations that behave dishonestly or harmfully, especially in business or online
Grammar: Always plural; the singular is bad actor.
Patterns
- identify bad actors
- punish bad actors
- bad actors in something
The new regulations aim to punish bad actors in the financial industry.
Social media companies are under pressure to remove bad actors who spread false information.
The report found that a few bad actors were responsible for most of the fraud.
Word forms
| singular | bad actor |
|---|
Common combinations
- identify bad actors
- The software helps identify bad actors trying to access the system.
- punish bad actors
- Lawmakers promised to punish bad actors who break the rules.
- a few bad actors
- A few bad actors can damage the reputation of an entire industry.
Synonyms and how they differ
- wrongdoers
- More general and often used in legal contexts; it does not always suggest deliberate harm.
- malicious actors
- Stronger and more formal, often used in cybersecurity to mean people who intend to cause harm.
Opposites
Word family
- bad actor noun
- The singular form, meaning one dishonest or harmful person or group.
Commonly confused: bad actors or bad apple?
bad actors vs bad apple
A bad apple is one bad person in a group; bad actors is a more formal term for people who act dishonestly or harmfully, often in business or online.
Practice
The company promised to take legal action against ______ who spread false rumors about its products.
Choose one answer.
Bad actors is the plural noun needed here because it refers to multiple people and is the object of the preposition against. Bad actor is singular, bad acting is a noun meaning poor performance, and bad actions refers to deeds, not people.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bad actors”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.