bad man

American

noun

Older Use.

(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?

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

“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 • Apr. 23, 2025

The fantasy that every bad man would get his due, with the violent ones in jail and the manipulative ones made personae non grata, has not played out.

From Slate • May 29, 2024

When I look at him, I don’t see a bad man.

From Salon • Nov. 8, 2023

I did not learn to use my black side until after the bad man left me.

From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023