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.
The good and bad news is there’s no magic wand, as that means the answers are accessible to you too.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026
"He told me the good news is it will be paid for by his insurance - but the bad news is he doesn't know how long it will take."
From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026
Teammates didn’t know if it was good news or bad news as they saw his tears.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026
For Europe, the war in Iran brings some seriously bad news.
From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026
And that she had bad news to deliver?
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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.
