Jump To:

• feel-bad
  feel-bad

  adjective

  intended to make one feel unhappy, depressed, or dissatisfied, often to arouse one’s conscience or understanding.
• feel bad
  feel bad

  Also, feel bad about. Experience regret, sadness, embarrassment, or a similar unpleasant emotion. For example, I feel bad about not attending the funeral, or The teacher's scolding made Bobby feel bad. [First half of 1800s]

feel-bad

American  

[feel-bad] / ˈfilˈbæd /

adjective

Informal.

1. intended to make one feel unhappy, depressed, or dissatisfied, often to arouse one’s conscience or understanding.

   a feel-bad documentary about Nagasaki;

   feel-bad financial reports.

---

feel bad Idioms  

1. Also, feel bad about. Experience regret, sadness, embarrassment, or a similar unpleasant emotion. For example, I feel bad about not attending the funeral, or The teacher's scolding made Bobby feel bad. [First half of 1800s]

---

Etymology

Origin of feel-bad

First recorded in 1980–85; feel ( def. ) + bad ¹ ( def. ) on the model of feel-good ( def. )

Example Sentences

I'm sure that has contributed to the general atmosphere of doom and gloom that seems to define this feel-bad era.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2024

They might highlight still other factors from this season: a movie industry desperate for a feel-good winner in feel-bad times.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2022

Let’s not mince words: The Tomorrow War is the feel-bad movie of the year.

From Slate • Jul. 15, 2021

He finished it with his movies, with their bruises, despair and, unusual for today, insistently feel-bad endings.

From New York Times • Jan. 1, 2021

They are the feel-bad hits of the summer.

From The Guardian • Jun. 19, 2019