bad news

American  

noun

Informal.

1. an annoying, disturbing, unwelcome thing or person; nuisance; troublemaker.

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bad news British  

noun

1. slang someone or something regarded as undesirable

   he's bad news around here

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bad news Idioms  

1. 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]

2. The amount charged for something, as in Waiter, bring our check—I want to see the bad news . [ Slang ; 1920s]

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Example Sentences

The Nestlé response to the stolen chocolate shows how there’s no bad news if you can turn it into a meme.

From The Wall Street Journal

Now, any bad news is good news—as long as a corporate brand can turn it into a viral meme.

From The Wall Street Journal

Trying to juice a rival’s bad news for buzz isn’t advisable if it’s something as serious as an oil spill or a plane crash.

From The Wall Street Journal

The bass genius Thundercat has, to his regret, been spending way too much time absorbing bad news on his phone.

From Los Angeles Times

I want to suggest that that is both bad news and good news.

From Slate