masamang

Masamang is a Tagalog adjective meaning bad, evil, or harmful. It is used to describe people’s character, actions, or conditions, as well as outcomes and situations that are undesirable. When placed before a noun, masamang functions as an attributive modifier, as in masamang balita (bad news), masamang ugali (bad character), masamang epekto (harmful effect), and masamang panahon (bad weather). It can also describe abstract concepts such as kapalaran (bad fortune) or sitwasyon. The term often carries a stronger moral or ethical connotation than a simple “bad” and is common in everyday speech, media, and literature.

Etymology and form: masamang is formed from the base adjective masama with the degree marker mas- used to express a higher degree of badness when modifying a noun. This pattern—using a degree marker before an adjective that modifies a noun—is typical in Filipino, allowing the same stem to appear in different inflectional forms depending on placement and emphasis.

Common collocations and nuances: masamang loob (ill will), masamang ugali (bad character), masamang balita (bad news), masamang epekto (harmful effect), masamang panahon (bad weather). The word tends to express a moral or negative judgment beyond mere incompetence or inconvenience, and it remains widely used in formal writing as well as everyday discourse.

See also: mabuti (good), masama (bad in general), ugali (attitude), balita (news), panahon (weather).