bad news
Americannoun
noun
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An unwelcome thing or person, trouble. For example, That fire was bad news; we were underinsured for the damage , or No one wants Mary on the board—she's bad news . This term transfers literal bad news—the report of an unhappy recent event—to an unwanted or undesirable individual or circumstance. [ Slang ; 1920s]
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The amount charged for something, as in Waiter, bring our check—I want to see the bad news . [ Slang ; 1920s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Maybe it’s bad news when even the economists have quit pretending that everything will be fine.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
The head of the BlackRock Investment Institute notes—against the backdrop of stronger economic growth—the rate hike may not be bad news for risk assets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
It is much more nutrient-rich and that is bad news for this rare lowland heathland, where the traditional plants prefer poorer quality soil.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
But it wasn't all bad news for Sony's "Spider-Man: Brand New Day."
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
The bad news is that his brain is open to infection.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
