bad man
Americannoun
-
(sometimes initial capital letters) the devil.
-
the bogeyman.
Etymology
Origin of bad man
An Americanism dating back to 1850–55
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.
“Diddy beat the feds that boy a bad man,” 50 Cent wrote on Instagram, before referencing a famous mobster notorious for evading convictions.
From Los Angeles Times
“Diddy beat the Feds that boy a bad man!,” the pugnacious “In Da Club” artist said on Instagram.
From Los Angeles Times
“He was a weak man, but he wasn’t a bad man, and he certainly wasn’t a spy,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times
The court heard in evidence from the girl's friends that the boy thought he was "hard" or thought he was "some bad man".
From BBC
"I'm looking for the bad man who stole a lot of money from people in Russia," she said.
From BBC
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.
