bad news
Americannoun
noun
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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]
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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.
Hollywood’s Lexington Park will not be getting a new playground after all, and that’s both good news and bad news.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026
Any slowdown in AI deals could spell bad news for the company.
From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026
There are times when bad news is good news for markets.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
The second reason Lee has was that people have been waiting for good news, but markets tend to bottom on bad news.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026
Perilee had been so strangely quiet when I’d told her the bad news.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
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.
