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• 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.

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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]

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Etymology

Origin of feel-bad

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

Example Sentences

"That £1 might feel small but when artists at the top level step up, it unlocks serious, long-term support for the base that holds the whole live music ecosystem together," it said in a statement.

From BBC • Jan. 27, 2026

There’s shame and defeat in this process, an unavoidable regret that makes both suffering parties feel small.

From Salon • Nov. 23, 2025

The improvements will always feel small compared with the stagnation.

From Slate • Oct. 28, 2024

“The world pushes us to feel small and stay in our lane, and Emma’s lack of confidence and insecurity is definitely a result of that.”

From New York Times • Feb. 9, 2024

Dimple sipped her water, trying not to feel small and irrelevant.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon