badnessn.

c1400 (c1378) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Laud 581) (1869) B. xii. l.49 Þe bewte of hir body, in badnesse [v.r. baddenesse] she dispended.

1477 Earl Rivers tr. Dictes or Sayengis Philosophhres (Caxton) (1877) lf. 68^v I haue not yeuen hym my siluer for his badnes.

1523 J. Skelton Goodly Garlande of Laurell sig. D3^v Mirry margaret As mydsomer flowre Ientill as fawcoun or hawke of the towre w^t solace and gladnes Moche mirthe & no madnes All good & no badnes.

1581 D. Thomas in P. Wiburn Checke or Reproofe M. Howlets Shreeching f. 67 The goodnes & badnes of the wil.

1608 W. Shakespeare King Lear xii. 7 A reproueable badnes in himselfe. View more context for this quotation

1650 R. Baxter Saints Everlasting Rest ii. v. §ii. 215 Though goodness and badness have many degrees, yet under some of those degrees do all men fall.

1747 S. Richardson Clarissa I. xxvii. 171 Vilely suspicious..from the badness of his own heart.

1780 J. Bentham Introd. Princ. Morals & Legisl. (1789) viii. p. lxxxiv It is frequent to hear men speak of a good intention, of a bad intention; of the goodness and badness of a man's intention.

1819 J. B. White Triumph of Liberty i. ii. 8 Their badness is in their bones—They never will be good, not while the sun shines.

1869 R. D. Blackmore Lorna Doone III. xviii. 276 He turned away in sorrow from me, shaking his head at my badness.

1920 Times 9 June 11/3 Why he was such a terrible villain I have never been able to answer, unless it was pure badness on his part. He was a confirmed scoundrel.

1990 in J. Faley Up oor Close v. 92 At New Year, aw, it was a laugh... Everybody was that sociable, an' really loving people in them days, ye know. There were nae badness.

1539–40 Ordinances Officers of Househ. in F. Thynne Animaduersions (1875) p. xxxiv To make relation thereof at the Greencloth of the badnesse of the stuff.

1598 R. Barret Theorike & Pract. Mod. Warres v. 138 It consisteth much in the goodnesse or badnesse of the powder; for the powder being good the lesse will serue, is sooner fiered, doth better execution, & heateth not the peece so much.

1611 Bible (King James) Gen. xli. 19 Kine..leane fleshed, such as I neuer saw in all the land of Egypt for badnesse . View more context for this quotation

1662 S. Pepys Diary 26 Apr. (1970) III. 71 Being in nothing troubled but the badness of my hat.

1697 W. Dampier New Voy. around World viii. 224 Whether it was the badness of the Water, or the unhealthiness of the Town was the cause of it we did not know.

1712 London Gaz. No. 4971/1 The badness of the Roads, and the sharpness of the Season, have hindered the march.

a1797 E. Burke Ess. Abridgm. Eng. Hist. (rev. ed.) in Wks. (1812) V. 684 The clergy also took advantage of the badness of his title.

1821 W. Cobbett Rural Rides in Cobbett's Weekly Polit. Reg. 10 Nov. 1148 Nothing can more strongly prove the badness of the times.

1884 Law Rep.: Appeal Cases 9 620 The supposed badness of the plea.

1924 Proc. Musical Assoc. 51 100 The old metal horn..was harsh, but it was always reproducing more accurately the badness of the recording.

1960 K. J. Shapiro In Def. of Ignorance 56 One feels that here there is an acceptance of the badness of the writing, as if good writing no longer held any meaning for the poet.

2007 Bostonist (Nexis) 13 July A movie so imaginative in its badness that Quentin Tarantino was inspired to reissue it.