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.
And the bad news for the chasing pack is that just two clubs have won the Premier League having been five or more points behind after four games.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
But it wasn't all bad news for Sony's "Spider-Man: Brand New Day."
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
Company costs also rise, which is bad news for corporate profits and for hiring.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026
That is bad news for employees, with thousands of jobs to go and compulsory redundancies not being ruled out.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
Picasso had rushed back to Paris when he read the bad news in the Paris-Journal.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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.
