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.
Hollywood’s Lexington Park will not be getting a new playground after all, and that’s both good news and bad news.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026
A preliminary April reading of 47.6 published two weeks ago suggested the survey would deliver bad news this month.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Any slowdown in AI deals could spell bad news for the company.
From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026
The bad news is, oil prices are still almost 30% higher than before the conflict began.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026
On the other hand, vaccination rates for other diseases had skyrocketed, so it wasn't all bad news.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
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.
