bad news
Americannoun
noun
-
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]
-
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.
A small counter-argument: it is one thing expecting bad news, it's another actually getting it.
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
The rest had recent bad news, like Nike and Campbell’s.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
For investors hoping that this year’s stock-market pullback has already reached its nadir, BTIG’s Jonathan Krinsky has some bad news.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026
The bad news is that valuations have been a much stronger predictor of subsequent 10-year returns.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
“I guess I’ll have to save the French toast for good-news days from now on. Anyhow, it’s not really bad news, just...”
From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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.
