bad man
Americannoun
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(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.
Ultimately, “In the Days of My Youth” confronts readers with a perplexing question: Can someone be a good father but a bad man?
His sister had fallen in love with a bad man.
From Literature
“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
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.
