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.
The bad news is I've simply run out of time to get myself, and my toe, back into spikes.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
"It is very bad news," he told journalist.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
Delays are bad news in the AI world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
The bad news is that freaking out — silently or otherwise — won’t solve the problem.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
The bad news is, I can’t get my note to the labor department to tell them.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
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.
