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.
That is bad news for employees, with thousands of jobs to go and compulsory redundancies not being ruled out.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
He asked a barista for guidance, and got the bad news: Starbucks had changed its chai formula.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Mortgage rates ticked up to a new high for the year, delivering more bad news for home buyers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
I’ve good news, bad news, complex news and in-between news.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
I stand, gripping my bow, waiting for the bad news.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
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.
