bad news

noun

plural in form but singular in construction
: one that is troublesome, unwelcome, or dangerous
stay away from him, he's bad news

Examples of bad news in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Deliver bad news immediately; Coach Lasso would call that a smart play. Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026 Other emotional stumbling blocks include a lack of bandwidth for any more bad news. Elissa Strauss, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026 Now, however, Blair has some good news and bad news concerning Saulnier’s October, which, like Idiots, falls under their Bonneville Pictures banner. Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026 Then Deutsche Bank’s Shreyas Gopal has some bad news for you. Jim Edwards, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bad news

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bad news was in 1917

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Cite this Entry

“Bad news.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bad%20news. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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