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.
So the good and bad news are the same for you: You don’t have one of those qualifying life-changing events.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026
While Pershing’s move isn’t a surprise after Universal Music rejected its offer, it is bad news for the company nevertheless, ING analysts David Vagman and Maxime Stranart said in a research note.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
The bad news: We often go about it incorrectly.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026
The appointment of Peter Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to Washington is like a bad news boomerang for the government.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
The bad news was that they were back in Maryland.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
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.
