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单词 badness
释义
badbad1 /bæd/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective (comparative worse /wɜːs $ wɜːrs/, superlative worst /wɜːst $ wɜːrst/) Entry menu
MENU FOR badbad1 not good2 low quality3 not sensible4 morally wrong5 wrong behaviour6 serious7 a bad time/moment etc8 harmful9 food10 no skill11 bad heart/leg/back etc12 language13 be in a bad mood14 feel bad15 not bad16 not too/so bad17 too bad18 go from bad to worse19 be in a bad way20 a bad name21 bad lot/sort/type22 bad penny23 be taken bad24 in bad faith25 bad news26 bad form27 bad blood28 not have a bad word to say about/against somebody29 it’s bad enough ...30 something can’t be bad
Word Origin
WORD ORIGINbad1
Origin:
1200-1300 Perhaps from Old English bæddel ‘male homosexual’
Examples
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
  • bad apples
  • Bad cat! Get off the table!
  • bad housing conditions
  • bad management
  • a book full of bad language
  • Critics blame the students' poor test performances on bad teaching.
  • Did you have a bad day at work?
  • Frank had a bad flu before Christmas.
  • He's the worst driver I've ever seen.
  • He had a bad influence on his younger brother.
  • He had an especially bad time at boarding school.
  • He plays one of the bad guys in the movie.
  • I'm afraid I have some bad news.
  • I'm very bad at remembering people's names.
  • I was always really bad at French!
  • If the weather's bad, we could go to the museum instead.
  • In most movies, the bad guy gets caught in the end.
  • In the 1980s, their cars had a bad reputation for reliability.
  • Is there any crime worse than murdering a child?
  • It's the worst book she's ever written.
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
  • A sweetheart, this little lady, not bad legs either.
  • But the fuel crisis was not all bad news for riders.
  • But when the cable came it was bad news.
  • But you were bad with your eyes all the same, I remember you were in a darkened room for days.
  • The first, last year, was canceled because of bad weather.
  • The sharpest rise in shop sales for almost 12 years encouraged hopes that the worst of the recession is over.
  • This was often a direct consequence of bad diet: too much matooke and nothing else.
Thesaurus
THESAURUS
not good: · a bad idea· His behaviour is getting worse.
not as good as it could be or should be: · A poor diet can lead to ill health.· his poor performance at school
not good – often used instead of saying directly that something was ‘bad’, especially when you were disappointed by it: · The film wasn’t very good.
not as good as you hoped or expected: · Her exam results were disappointing.· a disappointing start to the campaign
bad – used when talking about the bad result or effect of something: · All the publicity had a negative impact on sales.· the negative effects of climate change
formal bad and not wanted: · The policy had some undesirable consequences.· drug abuse and other undesirable behaviour
formal unfavourable conditions are not good for doing something: · The boat race was cancelled because of unfavourable weather.
very bad
especially British English very bad: · The movie was awful.· Her house is in a terrible state.· a dreadful crime
very bad, especially in a way that shocks or upsets you: · He describes prison as ‘a horrible place’.· It was a horrible experience.
smelling or tasting very bad: · The food was disgusting.· The fish smelled disgusting.
informal very bad or disappointing: · The weather has been lousy all week.· I’m fed up with this lousy job.
British English informal very bad: · I’ve had a ghastly day.· a ghastly mistake
severe problems, injuries, illnesses etc are very bad and serious: · The country faces severe economic problems.· severe delays· He suffered severe head injuries in a car crash.
extremely bad in a way that is shocking: · Her behaviour has been absolutely atrocious.· The country has an appalling human rights record.
very bad and of a very low standard: · The team’s performance was abysmal.· the abysmal conditions in some prisons
Longman Language Activatorbad films/books/methods/food etc
something that is bad is of a low standard, because it has been done badly, designed badly, performed badly etc: · The movie was so bad that we left before it finished.· It's the worst book she's ever written.· Opponents of the plan say it is a bad way of managing city traffic.· In the 1980s, their cars had a bad reputation for reliability.· Their latest album is even worse than their last one.
spoken not good at all: · I wouldn't go there - the food's no good.· I've tried that diet, and it's no good.
very bad: · That's such an awful programme! How can you watch it?· Your handwriting is appalling.· The food was lousy and the service was terrible.
especially British very bad: · The coffee tasted dreadful!· "How did you like the film?'' "I thought it was dreadful.''
British informal /garbage especially American use this to describe something you think is very bad: · "What did you think of his speech?'' "I thought it was rubbish!''· Most of the food in these fast food joints is garbage.a load of rubbish/garbage: · I don't know why you're watching that film, it's a load of old rubbish.· I've never read such a load of garbage in my life.
informal use this to describe something you think is very bad -- some people think this word is offensive: · There's nothing but crap on television these days.· The stereo's great but the rest of the car is crap.a load of crap: · Someone told me it was a really interesting museum, but I thought it was a load of crap.
especially American, informal if you say that something sucks , you think it is very bad -- some people think this word is offensive: · Let's not go there -- the food sucks.
products that are badly made or of bad quality
poor quality products have been made badly: · Poor quality housing often leads to health problems.be of poor quality: · Investigators believe the bridge collapsed because the concrete was of poor quality.
low-quality products have been made badly: · It's not worth building with low-quality materials just to save money.· The company wants to change its image as a producer of low-cost, low-quality clothes.
made without care or skill: · Her clothes looked cheap and badly made.
cheap furniture, jewellery, clothes etc look unattractive and badly made, and seem to have been produced using low quality materials: · The room was depressing, with dim light and cheap furniture.· Hungry-looking men in cheap suits hung around the streets all day.
badly and cheaply made, using low quality materials: · You have a right to return any shoddy goods you might buy.shoddily made: · Police officials blamed the deaths on the shoddily made apartment building.
inferior products are not as good as other similar ones because they have been cheaply and badly made: · Consumers buy foreign goods because they believe that British-made goods are inferior.· I want the best -- I don't want some inferior model that's going to break down the first time I use it.
not very bad, but not very good
especially spoken not good - use this when you are disappointed because you were expecting something better: · "What was the movie like?" "It was OK but the ending wasn't very good."· He's been learning English for five years, but his pronunciation isn't very good.
something that is mediocre is of a lower standard than it should be, and does not show much quality or skill: · The team gave another mediocre performance last night.· Tourists crowd the gift shops to buy mediocre products at high prices.
spoken not very bad, but not especially good: · "Was the food good?" "It was okay, but nothing special."· The town's nice, but the beach is nothing special.
spoken say this when you think that something is good in some ways but there are some bad parts of it too: · My grades were OK, but I thought I should have gotten an 'A' in chemistry.· The game was all right, but it wasn't worth what I paid to watch it.
informal not very good, but not very bad either: · "How is your meal?'' "So-so.''· The hotel was in a lovely location, but the facilities were only so-so.
not as good as other things of the same kind: · People are not willing to pay a lot of money for second-rate works of art.· All they could afford was a room in a second-rate hotel about a mile from the beach.
especially British something that is not up to scratch , is not as good as it should be: · The hotels and transport system in this city are not up to scratch at the moment.
a performance, piece of work etc that is patchy is good in some parts, but bad in others and in general is not good: · The film is patchy, despite one or two good performances.· Many department stores reported patchy sales over Christmas.
British /lackluster American: lacklustre performance not very bad, but not as good as was expected: · The corporation's profits increased dramatically this year, after a rather lacklustre performance last year.
bad events/experiences/weather etc
not at all pleasant, enjoyable, or successful: · If the weather's bad, we could go to the museum instead.· bad housing conditionsbad news (=news of a bad event): · I'm afraid I have some bad news.a bad day/year/time etc (=when a lot of unpleasant things happen): · This was a very bad year for the banking industry.· It had been a bad day, and I just wanted to go home.
very bad: · The weather has been terrible lately.· Traffic in the downtown Boston area is awful.· Conditions in the hospital were dreadful. The place was falling apart and it was understaffed.
so bad that you are shocked: · Living conditions in the refugee camps were atrocious.· The appalling weather continued, with harsh winds, fogs and heavy rain.
extremely bad, unpleasant, and often frightening: · It was a horrendous storm.· She is still recovering from a horrendous car accident.
extremely bad, especially in a way that is frightening or upsetting: · It was a horrific experience. We really thought we were going to die.· The race was stopped after a horrific accident in which two drivers were killed.
spoken informal use this to talk about an extremely bad experience or situation: · The traffic coming in to work this morning was a nightmare.· The President's trip turned out to be a nightmare for his security staff.be a complete nightmare: · Our vacation was a complete nightmare. The weather was awful and our hotel was worse.
words for describing bad people or behaviour
use this about behaviour that is morally wrong, or about people who do things that are morally wrong: · In most movies, the bad guy gets caught in the end.· He had a bad influence on his younger brother.· Is there any crime worse than murdering a child?· It never occurred to Sally that the man had any bad intentions.
use this about actions that you believe are morally wrong and unacceptable, even if they are not illegal: · Many people think that testing cosmetics on animals is immoral.· To spend £23 billion on nuclear weapons is immoral, and a terrible waste of money.· Critics complain that the lyrics of the song encourage anti-social and immoral behavior.
deliberately very bad and very cruel to other people: · Police described the crime as wicked and inhuman.· He was an evil man who felt no sympathy for his victims.
informal use this about someone who is not at all honest, helpful, or kind: · That friend of yours is no good. I want you to stay away from her.· My first husband was a no-good, low-down son-of-a-bitch.
someone who is sinister looks bad or evil, so that other people are frightened of them: · Her dark eyes and evil laugh made her seem sinister.something sinister about somebody: · The man was dressed in a black suit and wore dark glasses. There was something sinister about him.
behaving in an unusually cruel and shocking way, that is not at all normal: · What kind of sick and twisted person would do such a thing?· Whoever sent you these disgusting letters must be twisted.
completely evil and morally unacceptable: · He was described as dangerous and depraved and a menace to society.· The film is about a psychiatrist who helps the police capture a depraved serial killer.
involving sexual behaviour or intentions that are considered immoral, unnatural, and harmful: · The newspaper has described the killer as perverted and sexually deviant.· They saw the affection she had for such an old man as unnatural and possibly perverted.
a bad person
the bad person in a story, film, play etc, especially someone who breaks the law or who is cruel to others: · At the end of the story, the villain is caught and punished.· "Speed 2" stars Willem Dafoe as the villain who takes over a luxury cruise ship.
someone who is so violent and dangerous that people think their behaviour is impossible to understand or forgive: · A monster like that should not be allowed to live!· He argued that unless these monsters were put in prison immediately, they would continue to terrorize the public.
someone who is thought to be bad or evil, especially because his sexual behaviour is unnatural or offensive: · What are you, some kind of pervert?· She took him to court, accusing him of being a pervert who was unfit to raise a child.
spoken informal especially American someone who gets pleasure from things that most people think are upsetting, cruel, or unpleasant: · What kind of sicko would write something like that?
words for describing a bad child
a child who is naughty behaves badly, for example by being rude or by doing things that are not allowed: · We've been looking for you everywhere, you naughty boy!· I don't believe in hitting children, no matter how naughty they've been.
a badly behaved child behaves badly and causes a lot of trouble: · Two or three badly behaved children are causing all the problems in the class.
spoken used especially to speak angrily to a child who has done something bad: · You've been a bad girl -- you know you're not allowed in my room when I'm not there.
a child who is mischievous behaves badly, but in a way that makes people laugh rather than making them angry: · She was a mischievous little girl who was always playing tricks on people.
also spoilt British children who are spoiled or spoilt behave badly because their parents always let them do what they want and have what they want: · You're a spoilt, ungrateful little girl!· Those kids are definitely spoiled - they need to learn some manners.
informal a child that you do not like, who behaves badly and is rude: · The school is full of rich brats.spoiled/spoilt brat (=a child who behaves badly because they have always been allowed to do whatever they want): · Should I tell him his kid is a spoiled brat?
bad in a clever way
making careful and clever plans in order to get what you want, without caring about what happens to other people: · She was a cold, calculating criminal.· Over the years his experiences had turned him into someone who was both calculating and ruthless.
always trying to cleverly control situations in order to get what you want, especially by deceiving other people: · Blakemore was a cold, scheming man who could not be trusted.· Collins is best-known as the scheming Alexis Colby from the television series, "Dynasty."
having a bad way of life
· My parents think my lifestyle is both dangerous and immoral.· In many such stories, women are portrayed as untrustworthy and immoral.
a way of living that is decadent is concerned mainly with pleasure and enjoyment, and not with hard work or serious activities: · We spent the whole summer drinking, smoking and lying around. It must sound totally decadent.
formal not keeping to many of society's accepted moral standards -- use this especially about someone who behaves in a way that is sexually immoral: · He was labelled a degenerate youth by his teachers, and left the town before he was 16.
bad or immoral behaviour
bad or immoral behaviour, especially relating to sex: · Chicago is a dangerous city and she felt surrounded by corruption and immorality.· Religious leaders campaigned against immorality in the film and music industry.
bad or immoral behaviour, especially involving crimes or not being fair or just: · The investigators found no evidence of wrongdoing and the company's managers were cleared of all charges.
formal bad behaviour by someone in a position of authority or trust, who is expected to behave according to the rules of their profession: · The commission decided there was no evidence of misconduct.professional misconduct: · At present, therapists cannot be found guilty of professional misconduct.gross misconduct (=very serious misconduct): · The police officer found guilty of being drunk on duty was dismissed for gross misconduct.
a quality in someone that makes them enjoy behaving in a very bad or immoral way: · We sensed a wickedness in him that made us feel sick inside.
an extremely bad action
an unusually cruel and violent action, usually against someone who has done nothing wrong, that is unacceptable even during a time of war: · The brutal destruction of an entire village was one of the worst atrocities of the Vietnam war.
an extremely bad, and often cruel and unfair action that people think is shocking: · It's an outrage that men who didn't finish high school sometimes earn more than women with college educations.· The terrorist attack, in which two innocent tourists were murdered, is the third outrage of its kind this year.
to influence someone in a bad way
to encourage someone to do bad or immoral things that they would not normally do: · They're afraid their son will be led astray by the older boys.· Parents complained that teachers were leading students astray by discussing contraception and abortion in the classroom.
if someone in a position of authority, such as a parent or teacher sets a bad example , they influence others to behave in a bad or immoral way because they themselves behave in a bad or immoral way: · Doctors who smoke set a bad example.set a bad example/be a bad example to: · Not only was it wrong of him to steal from the shop, he was setting a very bad example to his younger brother.be a bad example for/to somebody: · Waters doesn't drink or curse because he doesn't want to be a bad example for young people.
to make someone who would not normally behave badly behave in an immoral way, especially by having some influence over them over a long period of time: · The Senate will form a committee to determine if violence on television is corrupting young people.· The prison system does not work because many of the younger offenders are being corrupted by older, long-term prisoners.
someone who is a bad influence encourages someone else, especially a young person or someone who is easily influenced, to behave in the same bad or immoral way as themselves: · My parents don't want me to be friends with you any more. They think you're a bad influence.be a bad influence on: · Her new boyfriend has been a very bad influence on her.
a situation that you think is wrong or immoral
· It's very bad that tons of food are going to waste while people are starving.· What's really bad is the way the government promises new housing and never provides it.
morally unacceptable, unfair, and against accepted ideas about what should be allowed to happen: · I was taught that abortion is wrong, even though it's not illegal.· It's wrong the way they treat that poor animal.
something that is disgusting makes people feel shocked and angry, because it is completely immoral, evil, or unfair: · The attitude toward immigrants and racial minorities in this country is disgusting.· It's disgusting the way politicians use their position to their personal advantage.
very immoral, unfair, or cruel, in a way that people think is unnecessary and unacceptable: · The state of the country's health system is scandalous.· a shocking waste of human life· The amount of money spent on nuclear weapons is shocking.· It's scandalous that a lawyer who holds a position of trust would be involved in this kind of embezzlement.
a situation that is outrageous is extremely bad and unfair in a way that makes people very angry: · I've always thought it outrageous that the poor have to pay for tax cuts for the rich.· The President accused the writer of an outrageous personal attack on his wife.
if you say something is a disgrace , you think it should not be allowed to happen, because it is very unfair or unkind: · The way they treat their workers is a disgrace.it's a disgrace (that): · It's a disgrace that the only hospital in the town has been closed.
you say that a situation is a crime or is a sin when you mean it is very bad, especially because it is not fair and could easily be prevented: · No one should be in such a bad way that they have to beg. It's a sin.· The condition of the inner cities in this country is nothing short of a crime.it's a crime/sin to do something: · Mrs Clark said it would be a sin to evict them just because they hadn't paid their rent.· It would be a crime not to take this opportunity to reconstruct our educational system.
a situation that is criminal is morally wrong, but not illegal: · I think keeping animals locked up in cages is criminal.· Having such beautiful paintings and not letting the public see them is a criminal waste of the nation's art treasures.
formal a situation that is deplorable is very bad, especially when it is unnecessary and could easily be prevented: · Something must be done about the deplorable state of our roads.· In addition to their harsh sentences, the prisoners have been exposed to deplorable prison conditions.
not good at doing something
not able to do something well, for example a job, sport, or activity: · He's the worst driver I've ever seen.· Critics blame the students' poor test performances on bad teaching.bad at: · I was always really bad at French!bad at doing something: · I'm very bad at remembering people's names.
if you do something badly , you do it carelessly, not skilfully, or you do it in the wrong way: · Adams admitted that he had played badly.· The company had been badly managed from the start.· Lorna speaks Spanish so badly that no one in our class can understand her.
also not much good British especially spoken not able to do something well: not very good at: · I'm afraid I'm not very good at math.· I'm not much good at speeches but I'll do my best.not very good at doing something: · She's not very good at communicating with other people.· He has never been much good at dealing with people.not very well: · "Do you play the piano?" "Yes, but not very well."not very good as: · She's a nice person, but not much good as a boss.
spoken bad at a skill or activity: · I'm no good at tennis.· Cait freely admits that she's no good at anything except singing.no good at doing something: · Leo's no good at lying -- his face always turns red when he's not telling the truth.
not very good, especially not as good as other people who do the same thing: · She's a second-rate singer.· We spent the evening listening to third-rate writers read their poetry in a seedy nightclub.
not having much ability or skill in a particular activity or subject: · This is Boston's weakest team in years.· When managers' leadership skills are poor, productivity suffers.· I wouldn't trust her. She's always been a poor judge of character.weak/poor at science/history etc: · She's weak at mathematics, and this affects her physics results as well.
a time or arrangement that causes difficulties
· I'm afraid he's come at an inconvenient time.inconvenient/not convenient for · I can call you back later if it's not convenient for you to talk now.· They discussed moving the office to a new building downtown but it wasn't convenient for most of the staff.it is inconvenient to do something · If you find it inconvenient to come to the office, we can email the files to you.
especially spoken a time that is not convenient because you are busy or you have made other plans: · Sorry - have I come at a bad time?
spoken if something, especially an arrangement, time, date etc is bad for or is no good for you, it is not convenient because you have other plans: · Saturdays are no good for me. Could we play Fridays instead?· Would it be bad for you if we met at my house instead of yours?
if something is awkward or difficult , it is inconvenient to do it, especially because it would interrupt something else: · Robson's resignation comes at an awkward time for the company.· Things are a bit difficult at the moment. Can I call you back this afternoon?
a time when you have a lot of problems
use this about a period of time when you have a lot of problems or a lot of bad things happen to you: · The last few months have been especially hard for her.· Those few days were so difficult that I decided to leave my job.· 1996 was perhaps the worst year the automobile industry has faced so far.have a difficult/hard time: · Most families have a very difficult time dealing with a family member's drug addiction.
use this about a period of time when there are a lot of problems, especially when these are very serious: · It seemed that the bad years were finally behind me.(have a) bad time: · He had an especially bad time at boarding school.
spoken use this about a situation or period of time when you have had a lot of problems or a lot of bad things have happened to you: · He's a good person to be with if ever you're in a tough situation.· Many of the veteran players had a tough time adjusting to the coach's style.
to have a bad effect
· The drug can have a serious effect on the body's immune system.have a devastating/disastrous effect (=have an extremely bad effect) · The war is having a devastating effect on people's lives.
to have a bad effect on someone or something: · Late nights and lack of sleep can seriously affect your performance at work.· Rescue officials have gone to three villages badly affected by the earthquakes.
to have a bad effect on someone or something: · Changing schools too often can be bad for a child's social development.it's bad for somebody to do something: · I think it's bad for her to spend so much time worrying about him.
to have a serious and harmful effect on something or someone, especially after continuing for a long time: · Years of civil war and drought have taken their toll, and the population of the region is greatly reduced.take a toll/take its toll on: · Bad working conditions eventually take a toll on staff morale.
to have an important and permanent effect on something: · She was only here for a few months, but she certainly left her mark.leave a mark/leave its mark on: · The long dispute has left its mark on the mining industry.
to have a noticeable and often harmful effect on a person or on a situation: tell on: · The strain of living with her violent husband was telling on Judy.start/begin to tell: · The power of the mayor's cronies began to tell as the election drew closer.
to affect something in a way that harms it or makes it worse than it was before: · We need to be assured that the new development will not have a negative impact on the local environment.· Last year's attacks have continued to have a negative impact on the tourist industry this year.
something bad that happens to you
· You shouldn't let one bad experience affect your decision.· Being arrested was one of the worst experiences of my life.· My passport was stolen and the police said they couldn't help me. It was a terrible experience.
a very unpleasant or frightening experience when you feel that you have no control over what is happening: · Starting school can be a nightmare for some children.· As the ship went down, people were rushing around in the dark screaming and yelling. It was an absolute nightmare.nightmare of: · The hostages described life in the prison camp as a nightmare of fear and uncertainty.
a painful, frightening, or worrying experience, especially one that continues for a long time: · The three week trial turned out to be an emotional ordeal for everyone involved.· The hostages were relieved that their long ordeal was finally over.
a very bad experience or shock that has an effect on you: · June never recovered from the trauma of her husband's violent death.· Multiple-personality disorder is usually caused by early childhood trauma.
not fresh
especially spoken if food goes off or goes bad , it starts to decay because it has been kept for too long: · Can you smell this milk and see if you think it's gone off?· I don't think we should eat that meat now - it's probably gone bad.
especially British food that is bad is not good to eat, because it has started to decay: · She must have eaten something bad because she was really sick in the night.· Shall I just throw away these bad apples?
bread, cake etc that is stale is hard, dry, and unpleasant to eat: · This bread's stale - have we got another loaf?· All we got was a cup of tea and a bit of stale cake.go stale: · Put the biscuits back in the tin or they'll go stale.
milk, cream, wine etc that is sour tastes bitter and smells unpleasant: · The wine was so sour that I couldn't drink it.go sour: · In these temperatures, milk goes sour very quickly.
fruit, vegetables, meat etc that is rotten is very badly decayed, has gone soft, smells unpleasant, and cannot be eaten: · There were some cheap oranges in the market but most of them were rotten.· the unmistakable smell of rotten eggs
good enough
· If the weather's good enough next weekend we'll go camping.good enough for · It's just a cheap wine but it's good enough for a picnic.good enough to do something · Do you think she's good enough to be in the team?
something that is satisfactory reaches the expected standard but is not better than it: · You won't get paid unless your work is satisfactory.· Lynne got satisfactory grades and was offered a place at university.
spoken use this about something that is good enough but not especially good: · The children made the cakes. I hope they're all right.· "What did you think of the movie?" "Oh, it was OK - nothing special."· This book is OK for beginners but it's not really suitable for more advanced students.
spoken use this to say that something is fairly good, and better than you expected: · "What was the food like?" "Oh, not bad - better than last time."· You know, that's not a bad idea.not too bad: · "How was the exam?" "Oh, not too bad. I think I passed."
good enough for a particular purpose, especially by being of a high enough level, amount, or quality: · Employers must provide adequate training opportunities.· Now that we have extended the hall, those small electric heaters are no longer adequate.· Make sure that the lighting is adequate so that your guests can see what they are eating.
good enough to be able to be used for a particular purpose: · We had a lot of applicants for the job but only a few of them were acceptable.· Some low-fat cheeses have quite an acceptable flavour but some taste like rubber.acceptable to: · The dispute was settled in a way that was acceptable to both sides.
good enough, but not very good: · There was some bread, a little cheese and a passable French wine.· He gave a passable imitation of Charlie Chaplin.
fairly good, but not very good: · Most of her work is of a reasonable standard.· A reasonable number of people turned up for the meeting.· We had an enjoyable weekend and the weather was quite reasonable.
a piece of work or a performance that is competent is done to a satisfactory standard but does not have any particularly good or skilful features: · Most of the essays were competent but one was really outstanding.· Ben took out his pen and produced a quick but very competent sketch of the building.
spoken of a good enough quality or standard: · I want to provide my boys with a decent education.· There isn't one decent restaurant around here.
especially spoken to be good enough for a particular purpose: · If you don't have any butter, margarine will do.· I want someone to practise first aid on. You'll do, Simon.will do somebody (=be good enough for someone): · Don't bother fetching me another chair. This one'll do me fine.
harming something or someone
· Pushing kids so hard from such an early age is likely to have some harmful results.· Scientists tend to agree that most diets don't work and can be harmful.· The destruction of the ozone layer will have a very harmful effect on the environment.harmful to · 80% of Americans think that television is harmful to society and especially to children.
harmful and usually having a permanent effect: · Up to 1500 patients suffered damaging side-effects after taking the drug.· The publicity that followed the scandal has been extremely damaging.damaging to: · The British beef crisis was damaging to the livelihoods of thousands of people in the industry.
likely to harm someone or something, especially in a way that is not too serious - use this especially about something that could also have a good effect if the situation was different: · Doctors have a duty to inform patients of the possible negative side-effects of the drug.· The school environment can be a negative force as well as a positive one.
to have a harmful effect on something such as an activity, organization, or type of work: · When companies close down, it's bad for the town and bad for the local economy.· A bad marriage is bad for the kids.· Reading without good lighting is bad for your eyes.
something that is bad for your health
to make you less healthy or make you ill: · Children always seem to love food that's bad for them - ice-cream, sugar, burgers.· Everyone knows that smoking is bad for your health.
likely to make you ill or less healthy: · He has such an unhealthy lifestyle -- smoking, drinking, eating too much.· An unhealthy diet is one that is too high in fat and sugar and too low in fibre.· My mother thought it was unhealthy to sleep with the windows shut at night.
likely to have a bad effect on your health: · The new air pollution controls are designed to limit harmful emissions from industry and motor vehicles.· You should always use sunscreen to protect your skin from the harmful effects of the sun.harmful to: · As yet there is no proof that genetically modified foods are harmful to humans.
very harmful to your health, and usually having a permanent effect: · Avoid too much exposure to damaging ultraviolet light.damaging to: · X-rays can be extremely damaging to living cells.
rude and offensive words
formal language that most people think is offensive: · Even very young children are using foul language at school.· The computer chip allows parents to block programs containing violence, sex, or bad language.
language that most people think is offensive - used especially to warn people that there may be offensive words used in a film or television programme: · The following programme contains strong language, and some viewers may find it offensive.· The film has lots of violence, scenes of drug-taking, and strong language.
language that uses a lot of swear words - use this in humorous contexts: · The colourful language of some of the characters may make it unsuitable for younger viewers.
a word that most people think is extremely offensive, especially one that is connected with sex or the sexual organs: · Rap songs are full of four-letter words.· It's a family show, with no four-letter words.
a rude and offensive word that people use especially when they are angry: · He wasn't the type of man to use swear words.· We had to take all the swear words out of the play.
a word or expression, especially about sex, that most people think is extremely offensive: · Someone had written obscenities all over the classroom wall.· Rick burst into the apartment, drunk and shouting obscenities.
remarks, words etc that are unprintable are too offensive to appear in a newspaper, magazine, or book: · Most of what she said in the interview was unprintable.· Chief McNally admits he's been called many things, some of them unprintable.
rude/not polite
someone who is rude upsets or offends people by not following the rules of good social behaviour and not considering other people's feelings: · What a rude man! He just ignored me when I said "Good morning".· I don't mean to be rude, but could you tell your children to keep quiet?· He's one of the rudest people I've ever met.rude to: · I know you're upset, but there's no need to be rude to your mother.rude about: · Are you being rude about my cooking?it is rude to do something: · It's rude to interrupt people when they are speaking.it is rude of somebody to do something: · I thought it was very rude of her not to answer my letter.
not following the rules of accepted social behaviour, especially when someone does this without realizing it - use this especially about the things that people do or say, rather than about people themselves: · In Senegal it is considered impolite if you do not share your food.· You weren't very polite to her.it is impolite/not polite to do something: · I was tired, but I thought it might not be polite to leave so early.· It is impolite and inconsiderate for people to drop in uninvited.
someone who is tactless upsets or embarrasses someone else, without intending to, by mentioning something that it would be better not to talk about: · I wanted to know about her divorce, but I thought it would be tactless to ask.· She was often tactless and insensitive.· tactless remarks
seeming rude or unkind because you say what you think very directly, so that people are annoyed or offended: · Harris was abrasive and arrogant.· Anson's abrasive personality has landed her in trouble many times in the past.
someone who has bad manners does not behave politely in social situations, for example by not saying "please" and "thank you": · Marilyn apologized for her husband's bad manners.it is bad manners to do something: · It is bad manners to talk with your mouth full.
behaving in a rude and unpleasant way, especially because of never having been taught how to be polite: · Her children are incredibly bad-mannered -- she should be more strict with them.· Ill-mannered movie-goers talked and took cell phone calls during the picture. · As soon as some English people go abroad, they seem to change into bad-mannered, insensitive oafs.
formal not behaving in a polite way - use this especially about people's remarks or behaviour: · It would have seemed discourteous to refuse his offer.discourteous to: · He claimed that the officer had been discourteous to him.
to deliberately behave in a rude and unfriendly way towards someone: · He can be very unpleasant when he's in a bad mood.· It isn't necessary to be that unpleasant, Mike.be unpleasant to: · She was shocked at how unpleasant the children were to their mother.
rude, loud, and unpleasant - use this especially about people's behaviour: · The behaviour of some politicians in debates is simply loutish and intimidating.· They considered my boyfriend to be loutish and a bit stupid.· loutish behaviour
when a situation, problem accident etc is bad
very bad - use this about problems, accidents, illnesses, or crimes: · The recent storms have caused serious damage.· The climbers got into serious difficulties and had to be air-lifted to safety.· In the last two weeks, the situation has become more serious, with riots and strikes spreading across the country.· Violent crime is a serious problem in and around the capital.· The boy was taken to hospital with serious head injuries.
a problem, illness, or accident that is bad is severe, and makes you feel worried: · The pain was really bad.· Paul's off work - he's got a bad cold.· Judy had been in a bad car crash several years before, and was still too nervous to drive.things are bad (=a situation is bad) spoken: · Things are bad in York - some people's houses have been flooded three times.
formal a grave situation or mistake is very serious and worrying because people are in danger and because the situation seems likely to get worse: · The situation is grave -- war now seems inevitable.· The ambassador declared that there would be grave consequences if the hostages were not released.grave danger: · A thick fog descended on the mountain, and I knew that we were in grave danger.grave risk: · There was a grave risk that the operation would leave him partly paralysed.grave mistake/error: · "It would be a grave mistake," said the president, "to ignore the problem, and pretend that it will go away."
a critical situation is very serious and dangerous and might get worse very suddenly - use this especially when people will die if it does not improve: · The situation is said to be critical and the army has been brought in to disperse the mob.· Things are now critical. Hospitals have no medicine, and people are running out of food.be in a critical conditionBritish /be in critical condition American (=so ill or badly injured that you could die): · Eight people were killed and four are still in a critical condition.
a desperate situation or problem is very serious or dangerous, and it does not seem possible that it will improve - use this especially when people will die if it does not improve: · Refugees on the border are living in appalling conditions with desperate shortages of food, medicine and water.· The situation was desperate. The enemy were now only a mile away.be in desperate need of something: · The hospital is full of people in desperate need of medical attention.
an acute illness, problem, or situation is one that has become very serious or dangerous, and needs to be dealt with quickly: · She was taken to the hospital suffering from acute appendicitis.· Patients suffering from acute depression may well need medication.· Nowhere is the problem more acute than Los Angeles County, where gang-related homicide is on the increase.· In San Diego, the shortage of skilled workers is acute.
a situation or piece of news that is grim is serious and unpleasant, and people think it will not get better: · The situation is grim for the innocent people, caught up in this conflict.· Rescue workers are continuing the grim task of searching for bodies.grim news: · The next few weeks brought more grim news, as the economic crisis began to deepen. grim prospect (=something bad that will probably happen): · Two thousand car workers face the grim prospect of redundancy.things look grim (=the situation seems grim): · Things look pretty grim for farmers at the moment.
spoken use this to say that something is serious and not something you should joke about: · Getting up for work at 5am every day is no laughing matter, especially in winter.· English teachers often joked that they could not pass the exam, but for the students it was no laughing matter.
if a situation is a matter of life and death , it is very serious, and what you do will affect whether the situation ends well or not - use this especially when it is possible that someone will die: · People grow their own food, and the success of their harvest is literally a matter of life or death.· In this town football isn't just a game - it's a matter of life and death.
informal if you say that a situation or event is no joke , it is difficult or unpleasant: · It's no joke if you have an accident in the mountains -- it's fifty miles to the nearest hospital.· Crossing the road was no joke with all the early morning traffic.
when you wish that something had not happened or was not true
use this to show that you wish something had not happened, or you wish something was not true: · There's nothing I can do about it, unfortunately.· Unfortunately, Dr Cole cannot spend as long with each patient as she would like.· We took some fantastic photos, but unfortunately the film got damaged.
unfortunately - use this to talk about events or situations that are very sad: · Sadly, this fine old theatre was destroyed by fire in 1993.· Alice was rushed to hospital, but sadly she died two hours later.
spoken say this to show that you feel disappointed or sad about something that has happened: · It's a pity about the weather - it was so nice yesterday.it's a pity/shame (that): · It's a shame you can't come with us.what a pity/shame! (=say this to show that you feel sad or sympathetic about something): · "Janet didn't get that job." "Oh, what a pity!"a real/terrible shame: · They've cut down all those beautiful trees. It's a terrible shame.
spoken use this to show that you feel upset about something sad that has happened, and you wish the situation was different: it's sad (that): · It's so sad that your father can't be here to see this.it's sad when: · It's sad when a marriage breaks up, especially after all those years.it's very/terribly sad: · The town centre is dying, and most of the shops have closed down. It's terribly sad.
especially American use this to say you are disappointed or sad that someone could not do something, or something could not happen: · "Senator Volk's out of town." "Too bad! I wanted to meet him and talk about the campaign."too bad (that): · Too bad Dickie isn't here to enjoy the fun.· It's too bad you have to leave, just when we need you most.
spoken say this when something causes disappointment, suffering or is inconvenient etc: · The wedding was lovely. It was just unfortunate about the rain. it's unfortunate (that): · It's unfortunate that you have to travel so far to work.
British spoken say this when you wish that the fact that you have just mentioned was not true: · Now I'm too old to fall in love, more's the pity.· I'm afraid this car doesn't belong to me, more's the pity.
formal use this when you consider the existing situation to be unsatisfactory: · Regrettably Jousse's work has not been translated into English.· The poor and disadvantaged will, regrettably, be the ones to suffer as a result of the new law.
bad luck
the way that bad things happen to someone by chance, not because of bad planning, carelessness, stupidity etc: · She seems to have nothing but bad luck when it comes to men.· Talk about bad luck! Last night Ray's car was broken into for the second time this month.
formal bad luck, especially when this results in someone having great difficulties in their life, for example being very poor, having a serious accident etc: · It was impossible not to feel sympathy for the family's misfortune.· Her misfortunes worsened this year, when her company eliminated her position and she lost her job.
bad weather
when it is raining, snowing, or very cold: · The game was cancelled because of bad weather.a spell/run of bad weather: · Once this spell of bad weather is over, we can start work on the garden.in bad weather: · At least 20 people died when the aircraft crashed in bad weather.
especially spoken very unpleasant, cold, wet etc: · Awful weather, isn't it?· "What's it like outside?" "Terrible."it is awful/terrible/horrible: · It's been absolutely horrible all day.
to become worse
· The food here gets worse every day.· My eyesight must be getting worse.· I don't think things can get much worse!get worse and worse · The tension in the flat got worse and worse, and Kate thought about moving out.· Paul's behaviour seems to get worse and worse.
formal to gradually become worse: · If the dispute drags on, conditions in the city could deteriorate.· The US trade position has deteriorated over the past few years.deteriorate rapidly: · Air quality is rapidly deteriorating in our cities.deteriorate to the level/point/stage where . . . (=to deteriorate so much that a particular problem is caused): · School buildings have deteriorated to the point where they pose a health threat to both students and teachers.
to become gradually worse - use this especially about the quality or standard of something: · He's been very unhappy and depressed recently, and his work has definitely gone down.· The quality of life for pensioners in this country has certainly declined recently.go right down British: · The standard of service has gone right down since the company was privatized.
if a bad situation worsens , or something worsens it, it becomes worse: · The weather worsened during the night.· The government's bungling attempts to help have only worsened the refugees' plight.· The situation was worsened by Roy's tendency to drink heavily in times of stress.
if a situation goes from bad to worse , it is already bad and then becomes even worse: · The rail service has gone from bad to worse since it was privatised.· Things went from bad to worse, and soon the pair were barely talking to each other.
to start getting worse, especially after a particular time or event: · Moving in together was a mistake, and things rapidly went downhill.· When things started to go downhill, Kyle began looking for another job.· I said I didn't like baseball, and the interview went downhill from then on.
if the quality of something suffers , it becomes worse as it begins to be affected by something: · His school work suffered because he was continually worried about his mother.· The ferry line denied that safety would suffer if costs were cut.· Her husband, a lawyer, suffered professionally for having to leave the office early every night.
if standards slip , they get worse, because people are not trying hard enough to keep the standards high: · Standards have slipped in the past few months, and we have to try and improve our performance.let things slip: · He used to make sure his apartment was in immaculate condition, but he's let things slip recently.
if a bad situation deepens , it gets worse - use this especially about serious political or military problems: · As the crisis deepened, it became clear that the government was losing control.· The company's legal and financial problems are deepening.
formal if a situation degenerates , it becomes much worse: · There's no denying that our relationship has degenerated over the years.degenerate into: · Attempts by the UK government to prop up the pound on the exchange markets degenerated into chaos.· What should have been a civilised debate degenerated into an unseemly row between the two sides.· Don't allow your comments to degenerate into a personal attack on the employee.
information/numbers/calculations etc
not correct: · For every answer that is wrong, you lose five points.· I think that clock must be wrong (=showing the wrong time).get something wrong: · You must have got my email address wrong.wrong (telephone) number/address/name etc: · I tried to phone him, but it was the wrong number.· This must be the wrong address -- no one of that name lives here
facts, figures, answers etc that are incorrect are wrong because they are not the same as the correct ones: · The information about current prices was incorrect.· incorrect spelling· They discovered later that the doctor had made an incorrect diagnosis.it is incorrect to do/say something: · It's simply incorrect to say that tobacco advertising does not influence young people.
a statement or piece of information that is misleading makes people believe something that is not true, especially because it does not give all the facts: · The article was deliberately misleading, and the newspaper has apologized.· misleading statistics· The Advertising Review Board says the adverts are deliberately misleading.give a misleading impression/statement etc: · Agents often gave a false or misleading description of the houses they were selling.
information, numbers etc that are inaccurate are not exactly right or contain some mistakes: · The old maps were usually inaccurate or incomplete.· TV ratings figures are often inaccurate.· He admitted he had given the committee 'inaccurate, incomplete and unreliable information'. totally/wildly inaccurate (=very inaccurate): · Figures quoted in the article are wildly inaccurate.
: bad grammar/English/Italian etc not spoken or written correctly: · You will lose marks for bad grammar in the exam.· Robert ordered two beers in very bad Spanish.· Masanori is the worst student in the class -- his spelling's bad and his grammar's terrible.
British /be off American if a measurement, result, figure etc is out , it is wrong because the numbers have not been calculated correctly: · These sales figures must be out. We certainly haven't made that much money this year.be out by $10/50 centimetres etc: · My last bank statement was off by $60.
if someone's guess, opinion etc is way off the mark , their idea about a situation is completely wrong: · No, you're way off the mark -- he was born in 1736.
WORD SETS
abalone, nounacetic acid, nounadditive, nounaftertaste, nounà la carte, adjectiveal dente, adjectivealfresco, adjectiveambrosia, nounangelica, nounaniseed, nounantipasto, nounappetizer, nounarrowroot, nounbad, adjectivebaker, nounbaking powder, nounbaking soda, nounbanana split, nounbanger, nounbanquet, nounbanqueting hall, nounbarbie, nounbarley, nounbasil, nounbass, nounbatch, nounbay leaf, nounBBQ, nounbean, nounbean curd, nounbeansprout, nounbeef, nounbeefburger, nounbeefsteak, nounbeet, nounbell pepper, nounberry, nounbetel, nounbetel nut, nounbicarbonate of soda, nounbilberry, nounbill of fare, nounbinge, nounbinge, verbbistro, nounblackberry, nounblack-eyed bean, nounblack pepper, nounblack pudding, nounblend, verbblend, nounblueberry, nounboard, nounbolt, verbbone, verbbon vivant, nounbony, adjectivebox lunch, nounbramble, nounbran, nounbrandy butter, nounbrasserie, nounbrawn, nounbreakfast, nounbrisket, nounbroiler, nounbroiler chicken, nounbroth, nounbrown rice, nounbrunch, nounbubble gum, nounbuckwheat, nounbuffet, nounbun, nounbus, verbbusboy, nounbutcher, nounbutcher, verbbutchery, nounbuttercream, nounbutty, nouncafé, nouncafeteria, nouncaff, nouncaffeine, nouncake, nouncan, verbcandy, nouncanned, adjectivecapon, nouncapsicum, nouncaraway, nouncarbohydrate, nouncare package, nouncarvery, nouncassava, nouncater, verbcaterer, nouncatering, nouncatsup, nouncatwalk, nouncayenne pepper, nouncereal, nouncheese, nounchef, nouncherry tomato, nounchickpea, nounchilli, nounChinese, nounchip shop, nounchives, nounchocolate, nounchocolatey, adjectiveChristmas dinner, nounchuck steak, nouncitric acid, nouncitron, nounclotted cream, nounclub sandwich, nouncob, nouncobbler, nouncocoa, nouncocoa bean, nouncoconut milk, nouncoffee house, nouncoffee shop, nouncold cuts, nouncold storage, nouncold store, nouncommissary, nounconcentrate, nouncondensed milk, nouncondiment, nouncone, nounconfection, nounconfectioner, nounconfectioner's sugar, nounconfectionery, nounconserve, nouncontent, nouncontinental breakfast, nounconvenience food, nouncook-chill, adjectivecooker, nouncookie, nouncooking, nouncooking oil, nouncorn bread, nouncorn chip, nouncorncob, nouncorned beef, nouncornet, nouncornflakes, nouncornflour, nouncornmeal, nouncorn on the cob, nouncorn pone, nouncornstarch, nouncorn syrup, nouncottage cheese, nouncotton candy, nouncourgette, nouncourse, nouncover charge, nouncrab, nouncrab apple, nouncracker, nouncrackling, nouncranberry, nouncrayfish, nouncream, nouncream cheese, nouncream cracker, nouncreamer, nouncreamy, adjectivecress, nouncrisp, nouncrisp, adjectivecrispbread, nouncrispy, adjectivecroissant, nouncroquette, nouncrouton, nouncrumb, nouncrumpet, nouncrunchy, adjectivecrust, nouncrusty, adjectivecrystallized, adjectivecucumber, nouncud, nouncuisine, nouncupcake, nouncurd, nouncurdle, verbcurrant, nouncustard, nouncut, nouncutlet, noundainty, nounDanish pastry, noundate, noundefrost, verbdelicacy, noundemerara sugar, noundesiccated, adjectivedevilled, adjectivedevour, verbdiabetic, adjectivedigest, verbdigestible, adjectivedill, noundill pickle, noundine, verbdiner, noundining car, noundinner, noundinner dance, noundinner party, noundinner theater, noundinnertime, noundissolve, verbdoggy bag, noundoily, noundollop, noundough, noundown, verbdrain, verbdredge, verbdried, adjectivedried fruit, noundripping, noundrumstick, noundry goods, noundunk, verbEaster egg, nouneat, verbeatery, nouneating apple, nouneats, nounEccles cake, nounéclair, nounEdam, nounedible, adjectiveeel, nounegg, nouneggplant, nounegg roll, nounelevenses, nounendive, nounEnglish breakfast, nounEnglish muffin, nounentrée, nounepicure, nounescalope, nounevaporated milk, nounfast food, nounfeed, verbfeed, nounfeta cheese, nounfig, nounfilbert, nounfillet, verbfilling, adjectivefilling, nounfilo, nounflounder, nounfloury, adjectiveflyblown, adjectivefoil, nounfoodstuff, nounforage, nounfork, verbfortify, verbfreeze-dried, adjectiveFrench bean, nounFrench bread, nounFrench dressing, nounFrench fry, nounFrench loaf, nounFrench stick, nounfries, nounfromage frais, nounfrozen, adjectivefruit, nounfudge, nounfull-fat, adjectivegaram masala, noungarlic, noungarnish, noungarnish, verbgastronomic, adjectivegastronomy, noungel, verbginger, nounglass, nounglassware, noungolden raisin, noungoody, noungourmand, noungrain, nounGranary, adjectivegranulated, adjectivegreasy, adjectivegreasy spoon, noungreen, adjectivegrill, noungristle, noungrocer, nounground, adjectiveground beef, noungrub, noungruel, nounguava, noungum, noungumball, noungumbo, noungumdrop, nounhalal, adjectivehalibut, nounham, nounhamburger, nounhaunch, nounhead table, nounhealth food, nounheart, nounhearty, adjectiveheat, nounherb, nounhigh tea, nounhome economics, nounhot dish, nounhygiene, nounhygienic, adjectiveiceman, nounindigestible, adjectiveindigestion, nouninedible, adjectiveinfected, adjectiveingest, verbinn, nouninsipid, adjectiveintake, nounirradiate, verbjellied, adjectivejoint, nounjuice, nounjuicy, adjectivejunk, nounjunk food, nounknuckle, nounkosher, adjectivelaxative, nounlean, adjectiveleavings, nounleg, nounlight, adjectiveliquorice, nounlive, adjectiveloaf, nounlocker, nounloin, nounlotus, nounlukewarm, adjectivelump, nounlunch, nounlunch, verblunchbox, nounlunch break, nounluncheon, nounlunch hour, nounlunchroom, nounlunchtime, nounluscious, adjectivemace, nounMadeira cake, nounmain course, nounmaitre d', nounmaize, nounmandarin, nounmandarin orange, nounmangetout, nounmango, nounmaple syrup, nounmargarine, nounmarge, nounmarmalade, nounmarrow, nounmarshmallow, nounMason jar, nounmasticate, verbmature, adjectivemature, verbmeal, nounmealie, nounmealtime, nounmealy, adjectivemeat, nounmeat-packing, nounmeaty, adjectivemellow, adjectivementhol, nounmentholated, adjectivemenu, nounmess, nounmess, verbmess hall, nounmilk chocolate, nounmillet, nounmince, nounmint, nounmocha, nounmolasses, nounmoreish, adjectivemorsel, nounmouldy, adjectivemouth, nounmouthful, nounMSG, nounmunch, verbmung bean, nounmush, nounmushroom, nounmustard, nounnibble, verbnibble, nounnosh, nounnourish, verbnourishment, nounnugget, nounnut, nounnutcracker, nounnutshell, nounnutty, adjectiveoatmeal, nounoats, nounoffal, nounokra, nounon, prepositiononion, nounorder, nounoregano, nounorganic, adjectiveoverindulge, verboxtail, nounpackaging, nounpacker, nounpap, nounparcel, nounpaste, nounpastille, nounpastry, nounpatisserie, nounpearl barley, nounpectin, nounpeel, verbpeel, nounpepper, nounpepper, verbpeppercorn, nounpeppermint, nounperishable, adjectivepetit four, nounpiccalilli, nounpicnic, nounpicnic, verbpie, nounpilaff, nounpilau, nounpimento, nounpinto bean, nounpit, nounpizza parlor, nounpizzeria, nounplain chocolate, nounplain flour, nounploughman's lunch, nounpoor boy, nounpork, nounpork pie, nounpork rinds, nounporridge, nounporterhouse steak, nounportion, nounpostprandial, adjectivepotato, nounpotato crisp, nounpotted, adjectivepoultry, nounpraline, nounprawn, nounprepacked, adjectivepreservative, nounpreserve, verbpreserve, nounpretzel, nounprovision, verbprune, nounpuff pastry, nounpumpernickel, nounpumpkin, nounpuree, verbquince, nounQuorn, nounrabbit, nounrancid, adjectiverare, adjectiveravenous, adjectiveraw, adjectivered meat, nounreheat, verbrennet, nounrepast, nounreplete, adjectiverestaurant, nounrestaurant car, nounrestaurateur, nounrib, nounrice, nounrigatoni, nounrind, nounripe, adjectiveroadhouse, nounrock, nounroe, nounroll, nounroot vegetable, nounrose hip, nounrusk, nounrutabaga, nounsaccharin, nounsalad cream, nounsalad dressing, nounsalami, nounsalmon, nounsalsa, nounsalt, verbsalt, adjectivesalty, adjectivesandwich, nounsardine, nounsassafras, nounsatisfying, adjectivesatsuma, nounsauerkraut, nounsausage, nounscallion, nounscampi, nounscone, nounscoop, nounScotch broth, nounscratchings, nounseafood, nounseasoned, adjectiveseed, verbsemolina, nounservery, nounservice charge, nounserving, nounset, adjectiveshallot, nounshellfish, nounsherbet, nounshish kebab, nounshortbread, nounshortcake, nounshortcrust pastry, nounshoulder, nounshrimp cocktail, nounside order, nounsillabub, nounsimnel cake, nounsingle cream, nounsirloin, nounsitting, nounskimmed milk, nounskin, nounskin, verbslaw, nounslice, nounsliced bread, nounsloe, nounsloppy joe, nounsmorgasbord, nounsnack bar, nounsnow pea, nounsoda fountain, nounsodium chloride, nounsoft fruit, nounsorghum, nounsoul food, nounsour, adjectivesour, verbsourdough, nounsoya, nounsoya bean, nounspearmint, nounspinach, nounsponge, nounsponge cake, nounsponge pudding, nounspoon, verbspoonful, nounspotted dick, nounspread, nounspring onion, nounspring roll, nounsprout, nounspud, nounsquash, nounsquid, nounstaple, nounstarfruit, nounstarter, nounsteak, nounsteakhouse, nounsteak tartare, nounstew, nounstick, nounStilton, nounstir-fry, verbstodge, nounstone-ground, adjectivestrawberry, nounstring bean, nounstringy, adjectivestrudel, nounsub, nounsucrose, nounsuet, nounsugar, nounsugar, verbsugar-coated, adjectivesugar cube, nounsugar lump, nounsugary, adjectivesultana, nounsun-dried, adjectivesup, verbsupper, nounsustenance, nounswallow, verbswallow, nounswede, nounsweetcorn, nounsweetened condensed milk, nounsweetener, nounsweetmeat, nounsweet pepper, nounsweet potato, nounsyrup, nounsyrupy, adjectivetable d'hôte, nountaco, nountaffy, nountainted, adjectivetakeaway, nountakeout, nountangerine, nountapas, nountapioca, nountaramasalata, nountariff, nountart, nountartare sauce, nountaste, verbtasteless, adjectivetaster, nountasting, nountater, nountattie, nounT-bone steak, nountea, nounteacake, nountender, adjectivetin, nountinned, adjectivetitbit, nountoffee apple, nountofu, nountomato, nountongue, nountop, nountopping, nountop round, nountopside, nountop table, nountortilla, nountough, adjectivetransport cafe, nountreacle, nountrifle, nountripe, nountrotter, nountruck stop, nountruffle, nountub, nountuna, nounturkey, nounTurkish delight, nounturnip, nounturnover, nountutti frutti, nounTV dinner, nounTVP, noununadulterated, adjectiveunleavened, adjectiveunpalatable, adjectivevacuum-packed, adjectivevanilla, nounveal, nounvegan, nounvegetable, nounvegetarian, nounvegetarianism, nounveggie, nounvenison, nounvictual, verbvictuals, nounvoracious, adjectivevoucher, nounwaiter, nounwaitress, nounwalnut, noun-ware, suffixwarmed-over, adjectivewedge, nounwell, nounwell-done, adjectivewell-fed, adjectivewet fish, nounwheat, nounwhite, nounwhite flour, nounwhite pepper, nounwhite sauce, nounwholefood, nounwholemeal, adjectivewhole wheat, adjectivewiener, nounwild rice, nounwishbone, nounwrap, nounyeast extract, nounyoghurt, nounyogurt, nounyolk, nounyule log, nounyummy, adjectivezucchini, nounzwieback, noun
Collocations
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
 Making big changes in your diet all at once is a bad thing to do.
 Bad cat! Get off the table!
 Too much salt can be bad for you.
 It is bad for kids to be on their own so much.
 This milk has gone bad.
 The bar had a bad name and was avoided by all the locals.
 These annoying tourists give all Americans a bad name.
 Sure enough, Steve turned up like the proverbial bad penny (=suddenly appeared).
 In order to sue, you have to prove that the company was acting in bad faith.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
· There’s been a bad accident on the freeway.· The road is closed following a serious accident.
· Financial advisors can be fined if they give bad advice to a client.
(=think that the worst possible thing has happened) When it got to midnight and Paul was still not back, I began to assume the worst.
 I’ve always been good at maths. Matt’s bad at handling people.
· There's a bad atmosphere among the staff.
· Lighting is one of the most effective ways of creating a good atmosphere.
· a lazy student with a bad attitude
 I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but ...
· The boys were suspended from school for bad behaviour.· His good behaviour did not last long.
 ‘You naughty boy!’ she said in a harsh voice.
(=that smells unpleasant)· Smoking gives you bad breath.
(=one that is making you cough or giving you pain)· I'm not going running today - my chest is bad.
· Be a good child and sit down!
 Doctors had to remove her leg because of bad circulation.
· If you have a bad cold, just stay in bed.
(=with spots or marks on it)
· Jason’s at home with a bad cough.
(=wide or deep and bleeding a lot)· The cut looked quite bad.· How did you get that nasty cut?
 Dave’s a good dancer.
(=in which things have happened in a way you do not want)· I’ve had a really bad day !
· Simon looked as if he’d had a bad day at the office.
(=one that is unlikely to be paid back)· Companies lose millions of pounds each year from having to write off bad debts.
· I think he made a bad decision.
(also a heavy defeat British English) (=by a large amount)· The polls were forecasting a heavy defeat for the president.
(=unpleasant or frightening)· The movie gave the kids bad dreams.
· There are a lot of bad drivers on the roads.
· Bad driving can cause potentially fatal accidents.
· Working too hard was beginning to have a bad effect on my health.
· Plastic bags are bad for the environment.
· The police made a serious error, which resulted in a young man’s death.
· He lived through some of the worst excesses of apartheid in South Africa.
· On the whole, going to boarding school was a good experience for him.· I've had some bad experiences when I've been travelling on my own.
· Moles have very poor eyesight.
· Your eyesight gradually deteriorates with age.
· Her worst fear was never seeing her children again.
 When she arrived, things just went from bad to worse (=got even worse)!
 The ground was too hard to dig so I gave it up as a bad job (=stopped trying because success seemed unlikely).
 The bread’s gone mouldy.
 We climbed the mountain in three hours, which wasn’t bad going.
· If you get a bad grade, Mrs. Miller will help you until you can do better.
(=a man in a book or movie who does bad things)· The bad guys all have guns.
(=a person who is responsible for something bad that happens, or a person who you do not like)· I'm fed up with people always thinking that I am the bad guy.· Mike's not a bad guy.
· Eating healthy food as snacks is a good habit to get into.
· How do you keep your hair in such perfect condition?
· Why do doctors have such terrible handwriting?
(=with few crops)· A series of poor harvests plunged them into debt.
· I’ve got a really bad headache.
· Eating plenty of vegetables is good for your health.
· Dogs have excellent hearing.
(also somebody's hearing deteriorates)· The medication seemed to make her hearing get worse.
· Poor hearing can affect your social relationships.
(=an unhealthy heart)· The effort proved too much for her weak heart.
 The south of the country is the worst hit by the recession.
 My father hit a bad patch, and had to sell the house.
· Keeping the drinks cold in the bath was a good idea.· Knocking down this wall was a really bad idea.
· It’s difficult to explain why the industry has such a bad image.· Many negative images of women are found in the media.
· The job interview proved to be much worse than I had imagined it would be.
· Arriving late for an interview gives a very negative impression.
· He thought her friends were a bad influence.
· The shares turned out to be a poor investment.
(=not funny)· Dad was known for his bad jokes.
 The house had a lot of bad karma.
· Not knowing what had happened to her was the worst kind of torture.
· This is hypocrisy of the worst kind.
(=not bright enough)· The light was too poor for me to read.
 I’m sorry, it’s a bad line and I can’t hear you.
 The future’s looking good.
(=someone who behaves well or badly after losing)
· His bad luck continued.
· I’ve had a bit of bad luck.
· He had the good luck to meet a man who could help him.
· He always carried the stone in his pocket; he reckoned it brought him luck.
(=a series of good or bad things)· The team has had a run of bad luck lately, losing their last five games.
 Over 80,000 people attended, making it the biggest sporting event in the area.
 good management and co-operation with staff
· All their children have such good manners.
· It’s bad manners to chew with your mouth open.
· She apologized for her son’s bad manners.
· A student with a poor memory may struggle in school.
· He left school with good memories of his time there.
 He suffers from severe migraine.
· It would be a terrible mistake to marry him.
· Standing on the edge waiting to do your bungee jump is the worst moment.
· The news had put her in a bad mood.
· Well-deserved praise is always good for morale.
· It was a bad move letting him come here in the first place.
· Most students feel that both boys and girls deserve a bad name if they sleep around.
(=make someone or something have a bad reputation)· A scandal like this could give the university a bad name.
· ‘I’m afraid I have bad news,’ said Jackson.· Have you heard the terrible news about Simon?
(=used to introduce a piece of good and bad news)· The good news is that most stores have the game in stock; the bad news is that it’s not cheap.
(=not sleep well, especially when you are ill)· I had a bad night last night.
(=the worst possible situation)· The outbreak of foot and mouth disease was farming's worst nightmare.
 Among causes of air pollution, car exhaust fumes may be the worst offender.
 The mist seemed like a bad omen and Sara’s heart sank a little.
· Later that evening, the pain was really bad.
· If the pain gets any worse, see your doctor.
 The article painted him in a bad light (=described him in a way that made him seem bad).
· The worst part was having to work even when it was raining.
· Liverpool put in a marvellous performance in the second half.
· ‘I’ve got no money left.’ ‘That was bad planning.’
· What would you say are Natalie’s bad points?
· The mines have caused serious pollution of the river system.· The pollution was so bad that most of the fish died.
 Poor posture can lead to muscular problems.
· Such a harsh punishment would set a bad precedent.
 There was no news and we were prepared for the worst (=expected something very bad).
(also adverse/negative publicity formal)· Fatty foods have received much bad publicity in recent years.· They don't want any more adverse publicity.
· She had a bad reaction to the medicine.
· Colombia is going through its worst recession in decades.
· The law firm has an excellent reputation.
· The city doesn’t deserve its bad reputation.
 Losing my job was the start of a run of bad luck that year.
(=the biggest or most shocking)· Total losses resulting from India's worst financial scandal amounted to Rs31,000 million.
(=the worst thing that might happen)· The worst-case scenario is that it is already too late to do anything about global warming.
 The service was terrible and so was the food.
· The jury was taking ages to make up its mind, which he felt was probably a bad sign.
 Delia’s work has been significantly better this year.
· Reports from the area suggest the situation has worsened.
(=with many spots or marks)· I had terrible skin when I was a teenager.· My skin’s really bad at the moment.
· The smell in the shed was awful.
· Cigarettes make your clothes smell awful.
· The team had some good spells during the match.
(=good or bad behaviour in a sport) We try to teach the kids good sportsmanship.
· Things got off to a bad start when two people turned up late.
· On your first day at work, you want to get off to a good start.
· He made a flying start at college, but then he didn't manage to keep it up.
· We’ve had a disappointing start but we are hoping to improve.
(also a poor/sorry state)· The report commented on the poor state of the roads.
· This was the worst storm for 50 years.
· He ran back home in a terrible temper.
· As the recession proceeds, things will get worse.
· Measures to slow down traffic on the main street have actually made things worse.
 He was just walking into the restaurant when we got there. Perfect timing.
· She felt ashamed of her bad teeth and rarely smiled.
· The traffic was terrible this morning.
 Two days after the operation, Dad took a turn for the worse.
(=not useful, and causing harm or problems)· It would be worse than useless to try and complain about him.
 It is taking longer than usual for orders to reach our customers.
 We only use the very best ingredients.
 I have good vibes about this contract.
(=wet or stormy)· Several flights were cancelled owing to bad weather.
· We have had lovely weather all week.
· He was taken to Broomfield Hospital with serious head wounds.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN
· The butcher chases them off the rock with kicks and abusive shouts, as though punishing them for bad behaviour.· Good Book - bad behaviour I was delighted to read David Helton's biblical approach to his subject.· In established States, less serious forms of bad behaviour are also permitted.· What is her attitude towards tantrums or bad behaviour and what action would she take on your behalf?· And, more importantly, some one who doesn't let her get away with tantrums, bossiness or bad behaviour.· It is generally not useful to speculate that such time-removed antecedents are associated with bad behaviour.· Try to catch him or her out in good as well as bad behaviour.· Teachers were criticised for allowing bad behaviour.
· Then old man Lawton goes missing and suspicion fixes on his son, Ronny, the local bad boy.· His bad boy always drove me to my vivacious good girl.· He always presented himself as the redeemed bad boy, but it was a lie, she says.· He is not a bad boy.· Another rehabilitated star admitting he was a bad boy.· Nat is not, we say, actually, we say, a bad boy.· In fact, Kaptan was not such a bad boy.· Roberts' eyes widen, as if Gibson was the school bad boy and had just told off the principal.
· Indeed, at one point the peak of a worst case fluctuation actually exceeds that of the best case.· The economy had not just a passing cold but a bad case of the flu.· The worst case scenario suggests aircraft could be responsible for up to 43 percent of the projected rise in global temperature.· Despite all this ingenuity, the Malibu has been built with a bad case of the rolling uglies.· He says it's one of the worst cases he's seen.· It was several times worse than the worst case the computer models had predicted.· Its bite produces a worm which swells up the blood vessels, causing ulcers and, in the worst cases, blindness.· He had arrived from Minneapolis in a linen suit and had a bad case of the trots.
· Perhaps the worst day of all Sunday.· A Sheila na gigh which now resembled Beirut on a bad day.· And you thought you were having a bad day.· Mr Howard painted a picture of industrial unrest under Labour rivalling the worst days of the 1970s.· However, on a bad day chaos reigns, and nobody can predict a likely departure time.· They had a bad day in the office.· After this bad day, anyone not tucked up in bed is making them suspicious.
· Of the top 19 banks, 13 are expected to make losses this year as they write off bad debts.· The previous year, when profits were just £36 million, bad debts totalled £903 million.· The group made a £597m charge to cover possible bad debts.· The incidence of bad debt, he concluded, was socially unacceptable and financially disastrous.· Most large societies have also made heavy provisions against bad debts.· The Royal Bank has suffered a slide in profits to £20.9 million from £57.7 million and has seen bad debts soar.· In the event the anticipated collapse of the first genetic engineering company amid a pile of bad debts did not come about.· Unfortunately most of the extra cash grabbed was swallowed up by bad debts.
· All night he had bad dreams, terrible dreams.· I was used to my bad dreams and the attacks of panic that followed them.· Well, it happened, one night, between bad dreams.· The illness and those involved faded like a bad dream.· Be understanding if he or she suddenly starts wetting the bed or crying for attention following a bad dream in the night.· I've forgotten to write down the bad dream I had last night.· Well no, she didn't really have bad dreams - oh ... but that was before ... she remembered.· They were not really bad dreams, more an aching yearning pain that seemed to permeate her very being.
· But what happens if work is demonstrably and objectively a bad experience?· Long jumping was a bad experience, and Edwards never distinguished himself in it.· However, invariably, it is not only bad experiences of learning that are committed to memory.· If they had a bad experience, it could be they wish not to speak to us.· Hardness A hard Rottweiler is one who does not allow bad experiences to affect him permanently.· They may have bad experiences from visiting prisons in the past.· As I say I've not had anything like the bad experience of it that a lot of people have had.· They had many bad experiences to relate on this score.
· In the present case the plaintiff did not allege, nor did the judge find, any bad faith by the defendants.· School officials can lose this qualified privilege if they act in bad faith or without regard for whether the statements are true.· And some councils are acting in bad faith.· I think a leap of bad faith was made.· It is indeed difficult to conceive of bad faith which would not automatically render applicable one of the two traditional control mechanisms.· Nevertheless, with the passage of time the Soviet side could begin to accuse us of bad faith.· No doubt the missio, with its insistence on proving bad faith, had not been a wholly satisfactory remedy.· I can't help feeling, therefore, that your critical position relies on a heavy dose of bad faith.
· As I have had reason to observe before, the malai medics weren't such bad guys.· In one I had to sit all night in the woods, completely still, while the bad guys circled nearby.· For me, we were the good guys and they were the bad guys.· The bad guy had become the good guy, the almost great guy.· He is the uneducated country underdog who takes on the bad guys from the big city and wins.· Maybe the bad guys on the ground thought we were giving them a bath or something.· For years he had continued a running battle with producers and film companies whom he saw as the bad guys.· Consider the sinister, theatrical laugh of the matinee bad guy.
· Ever since I was a teenager, I have had the bad habit of pulling and twisting my hair.· They are not aware of their bad habits.· So what can we do about bad habits in horses?· But that lone bad habit burns through your writing like a blowtorch, outshining all the others.· A person may develop bad habits that need correction.· The singer evinced one bad habit in the Mahler group, a tendency to scoop into opening phrases.· Unwittingly she was operating the intermittent reinforcement principle in support of a bad habit!· Simply determine which structural bad habit is most pronounced and edit for that.
· She had no doubt it would be a very bad idea for them to go in search of Oliver and Cobalt.· This is both a bad idea and bad timing.· The paper claimed that most businessmen believed that it was a bad idea to change horses in midstream.· Requiring a central bank to support a flagging currency will remain a bad idea after the union is formed, Tietmeyer said.· I mean, it's not a bad idea, Chief Inspector.· So fission power is an even worse idea.· Here, he will say, is another fashionable and bad idea.· A quick history lesson by their coaches may not be a bad idea.
· But to Profumo's bad luck, other newsworthy circumstances were available to salt the story.· Unfortunately, the gents had bad luck.· He confesses that he had the bad luck to cross both Nancy Reagan and Barbara Bush.· Nearly all gone now, worse luck, and the guv'nor's arrived to read the riot act.· People take something, then have all this bad luck.· He believes the placement of the tree is bad luck.· You go up there with the wrong attitude and come out with worse luck than you had before.
· The feeling of contentment produced by gin-and-water had now disappeared, and the beadle was in a bad mood once more.· Jerome had just changed his, but he was none the less still in a very bad mood.· He was away all week and now arrived back on Friday evenings in a ready-made bad mood.· No, our bad mood is caused by the bad mood of the adolescent children with whom we live.· Today he was in a particularly bad mood.· Despite bad moods and worse manners, the car could always be tamed by appreciation, patience and just enough rein.· Ignore her, she is in a bad mood today.
· Bringing a bad name on two families.· On the field, he is annoying and irritating and gives high-salaried athletes more of a bad name than they already have.· Good technology has gained a bad name.· This is the sort of self-serving, insincere baloney that gives good government a bad name.· Bertie: That's exactly the sort of Stupid Cult that gives culture a bad name.· This is the kind of disingenuous hair-splitting that gives politics a bad name.· What happened is indisputable: students, and the institutions to which they belonged, acquired a bad name universally.· These holy rollers gave all the churches a bad name.
· There is even worse news to come.· But it was also because caregivers were reluctant, sometimes for good reason, to bear bad news.· But the bad news is that the schemes require a 10-year commitment.· Analysts had figured the bad news from the giant microprocessor maker would put a damper on technology stocks.· After the next fifty yards I drew it out and took a look at the bad news.· It is not all bad news for Gore.· All this is bad news for Texas agriculture.
· Murders get a lot of bad press, so you don't publish the numbers.· I think this is one of those projects that certainly got its share of bad press.· Interwar Socialist Realism Socialist realism has a bad press in the West.· We had bad press, we had a lawsuit.· Free-electron lasers on the whole have had a rather bad press.· Predictably, the law practice has caused Brown to be dogged by bad press.· But gossip hasn't always had such bad press.· Now I know Utopianism has recently had a bad press.
· Embarrassed bank officials agreed not to call in police rather than lose the entire haul and face bad publicity.· When that received bad publicity, he promoted the Texas Guinan fat reducer.· Much of the bad publicity came directly from the philistinism of the tabloid press.· The delaying action kept the case out of court and minimized bad publicity until after he won re-election.· Apparently there is such a thing as bad publicity.· One reason commercial diet companies are having problems is that they received a lot of bad publicity in the early nineties.· In the end the company Sure Style Windows, of Bury got nothing, but bad publicity.· The workers said the campaign was attracting bad publicity for their company and putting their livelihoods at risk.
· Others trying to do that, like Lucent, Alcatel and Nortel, are in at least as bad shape as Marconi.· Sandy was in such bad shape.· Everything up there's a complete write-off, and most of the first floor's in pretty bad shape.· Uptown was still in bad shape.· The galleys were in bad shape.· You see children living in rooms that are in really bad shape.· I knew that several of the others were in as bad shape as myself - probably worse.· Representative government on Capitol Hill is in the worst shape I have seen it...
· Students desperate to leave home may find themselves in a worse situation than the one they left.· We put ourselves in bad situations.· In my own school, there was another bad situation in a Fourth Grade class across the stair landing.· Denying schooling, however, would just make a bad situation worse.· This nearly always results in drifting further back without much gain of height and ending up in a worse situation than before.· The worst situation was amidships, by the base of the mainmast.
· In the difficult job of getting through one's life happily, she had made a bad start.· The bold event got off to a bad start.· From that bad start, many little rotten apples grew.· Only in 1993-94 did San Jose manage to survive a bad start.· In an area with no obstetric service there is logic in this, but babies get the worst start in life.· It was the worst start in the history of sports.· Got off to a bad start because of its high price and lack of games.· It was a bad start to the morning, and the rest of the day lived up to its promise.
· And the resolution to this scene is exquisite in its chutzpah and farcical bad taste.· Both are nuts, leave a bad taste and no one really understands why this tradition continues.· I jolt awake with a bad taste in my mouth and my left eyelid stuck down again.· When I suggested that oversized shirts were therefore counterproductive, he shut me up with a reminder of my previous bad taste.· What exactly was Nichols' role: willing accomplice, or merely a man with a bad taste in friends?· People just look faintly embarrassed at this bad taste.· Private Parts is the second film so far this year that takes bad taste and turns it into a crusade.
· Jane departed in floods of tears and Rosemary duly arrived, in a very bad temper.· Too bad a promising young fellow should have dangerous opinions and a bad temper.· We were all in a bad temper, acting like children.· Kelly ruled by his bad temper.· Sir Emmanuel had a terrible bad temper and was often full of whisky.· As it was, I left in a bad temper which grew with every difficulty along the way.· He believed she must have received some of his mailings by now as she was in an even worse temper than usual.· It was clear, she told me, that Scott got his bad temper from his father.
· That might be no bad thing.· It turned out to be the next worst thing.· Perhaps that was the worst thing that could happen to a human being.· And the worst thing was that I really had little choice but to bow to their wishes.· That is a bad thing in itself, for it means less competition and more wasted resources.· Sometimes he did bad things just to be loved, and sometimes he hated himself for needing love so badly.· And it is also good to think in terms of what bad things could happen.
· Metal fatigue has to be one of the worst things that can happen.· They were out there trying to judge me and talk about all the bad things I did.· Smallfry had forgotten to warn him because he had done so many bad things and caused a lot of trouble.· She was a bad kid who did bad things.· It was going to be a present for herself, a comfort after the bad things she had endured.· Clearly, he has realized how bad things already are.· It shows that however bad things are now - and they are pretty desperate - they are going to get much worse.· And it is also good to think in terms of what bad things could happen.
· See, what happened to Rod is that he came along at a bad time in track and field.· Amy glossed over the bad times.· It was a bad time to have chosen for confrontation.· That's what keeps friendships going, the bad times.· I thought it would be great down there, but I started having a bad time so I went back to Newcastle.· And it was still a bad time for the people in the middle.· He threw one the very worst time, up on top of the wall, and the other kids all shunned away.· His father, my ex-husband, was chronically depressed, just had a real bad time coping with life.
· Sometimes aircraft returning across the Channel are in a bad way.· There are, however, better and worse ways of handling human problems.· Not a bad way to go, in a blaze of your own gunpowder.· I wanted in the worst way to ask him.· She's in a bad way trying to have her pups.· It was done in a bad way.· Some are in a bad way so we share what we have.· The feds wanted him to talk in the worst way.
· Started four years ago, the work has been delayed by bad weather and geological problems.· The only consoling thought was that the bad weather now extended south down the coast and would hold the Columbia up too.· I don't know if it's pedestrianisation or the bad weather.· The first, last year, was canceled because of bad weather.· But it is not just bad weather which takes the gilt off the packed-lunch gingerbread.· When bad weather turns up, one of the first places people turn to is the video store.· Along the prom the amusements and rides were still open but the bad weather had kept people away.· Our raft travelled so slowly that we could not run away from bad weather.
Phrases
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
  • A sweetheart, this little lady, not bad legs either.
  • For Joshua, at sixty-two, and suffering from a bad leg, distances had begun to take on an extraordinary significance.
  • He had a bad back as well, you know, just like Rich.
  • He had a bad leg and they kept on at him to hurry up.
  • Medical deferment for a very bad heart.
  • That coming from him who would go sick with a bad back whenever a job tired him.
  • The problems-from bad backs to carpal tunnel syndrome to headaches-have made the headlines of every health magazine in the country.
  • I had to wait two hours for the train, which really put me in a bad mood.
  • Why were you in such a bad mood this morning?
  • But I was in a bad mood with myself.
  • He seems to be in a bad mood about something.
  • Ignore her, she is in a bad mood today.
  • Maybe he was in a bad mood.
  • Nubenehem was in a bad mood, reaching for her liquor jar and belching.
  • Sister Isabel is in a bad mood.
  • The feeling of contentment produced by gin-and-water had now disappeared, and the beadle was in a bad mood once more.
  • I feel bad about not going to Debbie's party, but I've just got too much to do.
  • I feel bad about what I said. Things haven't been easy for either of us.
  • I felt bad about not being able to come last night.
  • I should have told Helen I was sorry. I feel really bad that I didn't.
  • We had a long talk about it afterwards and I know she felt bad.
  • Being with the nuns only made it feel worse.
  • Continually feeling bad about how your body looks limits your self-esteem, which eventually undercuts your immune power.
  • Do I feel bad, exploited, put down?
  • I felt bad about David, whose roots are in labor.
  • It's very ... I felt bad afterwards.
  • That makes me feel bad because I don't want to go anywhere else.
  • Turning the mirror over, I feel worse than before.
  • Whenever I go to London I feel bad for Georgie.
  • "How are you?" "Oh, not bad."
  • "How was the exam?" "Oh, not too bad. I think I passed."
  • "What was the food like?" "Oh, not bad - better than last time."
  • That's not a bad idea.
  • You know, that's not a bad idea.
  • A sweetheart, this little lady, not bad legs either.
  • All the news out of Texas is not bad.
  • But for all that, you are not bad.
  • But for an afternoon's work, not bad at all.
  • Doing something you feel obligated to do is not bad.
  • It was not bad at all ... Emma: Not bad at all!?
  • Not bad, not bad I've been sorting out my council tax George.
  • Not an ale, but not bad.
  • The roads weren't too bad.
  • At first, things were not so bad.
  • Compared to how I feel, how I look is not so bad.
  • She began to think that perhaps village life was not so bad.
  • The Ky is not too bad.
  • The policing here is not so bad.
  • The Vatican, I must say, is not too bad when it is full and the resonance is reduced.
  • The weather was not too bad.
  • We played really well and while the other contenders still had to play each other, our run-in was not too bad.
  • "I've got plans this evening." "Too bad, I need you to stay till you've finished the report."
  • "Senator Volk's out of town.'' "Too bad! I wanted to meet him and talk about the campaign.''
  • It's too bad she had to give up teaching when she got sick.
  • It's too bad you have to leave, just when we need you most.
  • Too bad Dickie isn't here to enjoy the fun.
  • All this would not have been too bad but for the fact that our rope was going rotten at an alarming pace.
  • But, as he admits, he's not doing too bad.
  • If any of the contenders have not got their act together by then, then it is simply too bad.
  • It's too bad of you.
  • Life in the slammer wasn't too bad for Bob Mitchum.
  • The weather was not too bad.
  • The rail service has gone from bad to worse since it was privatised.
  • The schools have gone from bad to worse in this area.
  • Things went from bad to worse, and soon the pair were barely talking to each other.
  • As 1931 went from bad to worse the possibility of another marriage began to seem her best hope of salvation.
  • It went from bad to worse as the heavens opened and turned the circuit into one huge puddle.
  • Matters continued to go from bad to worse.
  • Matters went from bad to worse.
  • On Ithaca, the island where his home was, things had gone from bad to worse.
  • That they are going from bad to worse.
  • Martin came back from Africa with malaria, and he was in a pretty bad way for months.
  • You'd better get an ambulance - she's in a pretty bad way.
  • Duncan saw that he was in a bad way, his face grey and wan.
  • Effie here is in a bad way for several reasons.
  • He could see that Longhi, the lowest on the rope, was in a bad way; his hands kept slipping.
  • I was in a bad way at that time, I felt really depressed, so I went round causing criminal damage.
  • She was in a bad way and I hated doing it, but I had to.
  • Some are in a bad way so we share what we have.
  • Sometimes aircraft returning across the Channel are in a bad way.
  • The solo climber was in a bad way, and they invited him to rope up with them.
  • In this way the original insights of New Right thinking have acquired for themselves a bad name.
  • On the field, he is annoying and irritating and gives high-salaried athletes more of a bad name than they already have.
  • The dinner they gave him ranks among the epic brawls which regularly give the brotherhood of socialist solidarity a bad name.
  • Then came the kind of spot award that gets Anfield a bad name.
  • These holy rollers gave all the churches a bad name.
  • This is the kind of disingenuous hair-splitting that gives politics a bad name.
  • This is the sort of self-serving, insincere baloney that gives good government a bad name.
  • What happened is indisputable: students, and the institutions to which they belonged, acquired a bad name universally.
  • And yes, I know, even as a spectator, I was condoning the worst sort of behavior.
  • But maybe that is the worst sort of wishful thinking.
  • Domestic violence is insanity of the worst sort.
  • He was a bad lot and it was just one of those things.
  • I left to live with a boyfriend, who turned out to be a bad lot.
  • If so, San Diego was among the worst of a bad lot.
  • If they do not, they will be guilty of the worst sort of hypocrisy.
  • The city's school system, among the worst of a bad lot through the state, is full of squabbling.
  • I took long breaks away from training and would then reappear like the proverbial bad penny, as if I had never been away.
► be taken bad
  • In order to sue, you have to prove that the company was acting in bad faith.
  • And some councils are acting in bad faith.
  • In Anisminic, Lord Reid gave the following examples: It may have given its decision in bad faith.
  • School officials can lose this qualified privilege if they act in bad faith or without regard for whether the statements are true.
  • I have some bad news - I think the water heater's not working.
  • Rich foods are bad news if you're on a diet.
  • But the really bad news was that the post in question was an important insurance form.
  • Clanahan gave us the worse news.
  • Colin Anderson is still missing through suspension, and more bad news is that Owen Pickard is out injured.
  • It's bad news, but it's true.
  • Now, ten years and three children later, he is finally convinced that another mouth to feed would be bad news.
  • The bad news: A concussion that left Young woozy and knocked him out of the game.
  • The latest bad news came from a report released by the Book Industry Study Group.
  • This theft can only be bad news for the preservation movement.
  • It's bad form to say "I told you so" when a friend ignores your advice and makes a fool of himself.
  • He asked Billy what he thought the worst form of execution was.
  • Like the institutionalized human being, it faces the problem of leisure in its worst form: it has nothing to do.
  • Self-interest was the worst sin and slaveholding was the worst form of self-interest.
  • Tainting the courts with politics is very bad form, but apparently irresistible.
  • The most terrible bad form. 5.
  • They need an exorcist to figure out what in the devil possessed them to return to their worst form from last season.
  • We all now agree with Churchill's adage: democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.
  • Wilful impediment of the sacred moves was not only ill-mannered, but the worst form of blasphemy.
  • There'd been some bad blood between Jose and Arriola over a woman.
  • But bad blood between the two had developed years before that.
  • But referee Ed Morrison's leniency led to bad blood spilling over in a six-man brawl as Richards looked for revenge.
  • It will be great theater because there is truly bad blood between the camps of supporters.
  • Probyn recognises that whenever there is money about, then the potential for bad blood creeping in is always there.
  • There had been bad blood between Laurie and Lisa for months.
  • There is bad blood between the options market's leading dealing firms and the stock exchange.
  • There was bad blood between Uncle Hal and Uncle Charlie.
  • Was this not deft proof of how the human gene-pool was constantly deteriorating, how bad blood drove out good?
► not have a bad word to say about/against somebody
  • It's bad enough being paranoid, let alone telling everyone about it.
  • It's bad enough being stuck in here without our not getting on as well.
  • It's bad enough for me, imagine living abroad.
  • It's bad enough having a seriously ill child without all having to be split up.
  • It's bad enough looking through the new sections and the main articles and seeing nothing mentioned less than E4, 6b.
  • It's bad enough now, but it must have been really something when it was occupied.
  • It's bad enough that Timothy's mooning over her like a schoolboy, wet behind the ears.
  • It's bad enough trying to fly with unequal line lengths; having an asymmetric kite can be most frustrating!
  • The kids get a multicultural education, and that can't be bad.
  • And it was still a bad time for the people in the middle.
  • And then uh, he was the homecoming king and oh, gosh, that was a bad time in my life.
  • Calls to assistant general manager Mike Port came at a bad time.
  • I thought it would be great down there, but I started having a bad time so I went back to Newcastle.
  • It was a bad time to have chosen for confrontation.
  • Strawberry had had a bad time.
  • The prolonged federal government shutdown could not have come at a worse time for businessman Herb Stein.
  • While I have no problem with this, the issue is that my friends are giving me a bad time about it.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► good 'un/bad 'un/little 'un etc► at your best/worst/most effective etc► somebody’s bark is worse than their bite► the best of a bad lot/bunch
  • The reality is that, for better or worse, the world of publishing has changed.
  • All five, for better or worse, have received recent votes of confidence from their respective general managers or team presidents.
  • And for better or worse, the new interactivity brings enormous political leverage to ordinary citizens at relatively little cost.
  • And the consequences could be even more startling, for better or for worse.
  • Decisions made in any of these places can hit our pocketbooks and our peace of mind, for better or for worse.
  • He has toted the ball and the expectations, for better or worse.
  • He was her husband ... for better or worse, he was her husband.
  • Medical students in prolonged contact with junior doctors learn attitudes by example, for better or for worse.
  • Today we know for better or for worse that cops, like doctors and priests, are merely human.
  • Barbara was every bit as good as she sounded.
  • Here, the Fund runs many family projects that are less well-known but doing work that is every bit as important.
  • It is for this reason that good balanced design is every bit as important as meticulous craftsmanship.
  • It takes no more than five minutes and tastes every bit as good at the oven-baked variety.
  • The explanation is every bit as important as the numbers!
  • The traffic was every bit as bad as had been predicted.
  • Things every bit as bad happen there, too.
  • To her horror it was every bit as bad as she'd feared, and possibly even a tiny bit worse.
► be in somebody’s good/bad books
  • Ingram always seems to bring out the best in his players.
  • And Vince was obviously a great coach; he brought out the best in his team and whoever played him.
  • But the Washington Wizards have a way of bringing out the best in their opponents.
  • But, says Markert, there is something about one-way communication that can also bring out the worst in people.
  • Campaigns seem to bring out the worst in Bob Dole.
  • It brings out the best in us.
  • Maybe something like they tend to bring out the best in us.
  • So, to bring out the best in your cooking make sure you use the purest soy sauce, Kikkoman Soy Sauce.
  • Yet it was not an unsuccessful attempt to bring out the best in his audience.
  • Alec Davidson, for example, was one of those who came off worst.
  • Bullock comes off best because her complaining seems so valid.
  • His foster-child comes off best, but in addition each of two nurses receives a tenth of his estate.
  • It may seem, so far, that in terms of clearly defined benefits, the client comes off best out of the deal.
  • Prior to that Meath had come off best when they accounted for Down in the 1990 league decider.
  • The lightning, it seemed to Lydia, had undoubtedly come off best in that encounter.
  • The problem is that history sometimes comes off better.
► couldn’t be better/worse/more pleased etc
  • Batter Up Despite my best efforts, I could not stop eating the skinny fries that came with the combination.
  • Dealing with these individual and family concerns will require the best efforts of mental health professionals.
  • Football is a team game; offense and defense must work together to produce the best effort.
  • However, objects decay despite our best efforts to conserve them.
  • In spite of Holford-Walker's best efforts, the moran evaded his supervision.
  • In spite of the rain's best efforts, I was pleased that I had been able to observe and film interesting mink behaviour.
  • Or maybe they disapproved of or were indifferent to your best efforts.
  • Peter Pike and Davern Lambert had good efforts before Musgrove completed his hat-trick with a good shot on the turn.
  • Many drivers are their own worst enemy -- driving too close, driving too fast, all the usual faults.
  • My mother was her own worst enemy. She knew she was ill but she did nothing to help herself.
  • In other words, we are our own worst enemy.
  • My father was his own worst enemy.
  • People are their own worst enemies.
  • Players can be real snobs about names, too, so they are their own worst enemies.
  • To what extent would she say she was her own worst enemy?
  • You could say that Gilly is her own worst enemy.
  • Even a Patel, probably a Bhatt if I looked hard enough.
  • It's bad enough trying to fly with unequal line lengths; having an asymmetric kite can be most frustrating!
  • She identified the problem not as trying too hard to live up to a domestic ideal but as not trying hard enough.
  • Since the cold war ended in 1988, they have worked hard enough to produce some kind of an economic miracle.
  • That was going to be difficult enough anyway.
  • The ties with the past difficult enough to sever already.
  • This would be bad enough if California prisons were full of nothing but Charles Mansons.
  • And some councils are acting in bad faith.
  • Guinness was accused of bad faith, in particular for failing to adhere to promises made in the official offer documents.
  • I can't help feeling, therefore, that your critical position relies on a heavy dose of bad faith.
  • I think a leap of bad faith was made.
  • In Anisminic, Lord Reid gave the following examples: It may have given its decision in bad faith.
  • In the present case the plaintiff did not allege, nor did the judge find, any bad faith by the defendants.
  • School officials can lose this qualified privilege if they act in bad faith or without regard for whether the statements are true.
  • What intrigues me about programmes like You've Been Framed is their bad faith.
  • At 21 she is set for stardom, but she still finds time for people who have fallen on hard times.
  • Even by political standards, Gingrich very quickly fell on hard times.
  • I assumed that if a person fell on hard times some one else in the wider family would rescue them.
  • Interestingly, though, the bottom 10 includes many household names fallen on hard times.
  • The Cambridge University Automobile Club had clearly fallen on hard times, too.
  • The model cities program fell on hard times soon after it began.
  • With the outbreak of war, the shop fell on harder times.
  • Worse, because of Jack the father has fallen on hard times and must meet all kinds of debts.
  • I knew that Grandma's visit would be a fate worse than death.
  • After all, she didn't know him, and a fate worse than death might just be awaiting her.
  • It certainly wasn't because he was trying to save her from a Fate Worse than Death.
  • There are various Pelagias who are known as penitent harlots or virgin martyrs who died to escape a fate worse than death.
  • We've even growled at the horse, and threatened it with a fate worse than death, but to no avail!
  • Fearing the worst, police have called in reinforcements to help control the crowds.
  • After I hadn't heard from him for several hours, I began to fear the worst.
  • Rescuers feared the worst for the men trapped in the mine.
  • I knew I was being irrational but I began to fear the worst.
  • Mind you, I feared the worst for this year's crop of pantomimes.
  • Only then did we begin to fear the worst.
  • Rumours about impending changes will occur anyway, and staff not fully informed are likely to fear the worst.
  • Then they called police and stayed up all night -- fearing the worst.
  • There have been bad feelings between area residents and police.
  • Even though Amelia participated so little in school activities, she harbored no ill feelings toward Hyde Park.
  • I figure there had to be some bad feeling.
  • I got a very bad feeling as we pitched into the bathroom and-fumbled for the mouthwash.
  • I have bad feelings for the smugglers, though.
  • It's got bad feelings for me, this room.
  • It was the start of bad feeling between the two.
  • Jane Blasio harbors no ill feelings toward Hicks.
  • There is no bad feeling between us.
► make a good/bad fist of something
  • He asked Billy what he thought the worst form of execution was.
  • Self-interest was the worst sin and slaveholding was the worst form of self-interest.
  • Tainting the courts with politics is very bad form, but apparently irresistible.
  • The most terrible bad form. 5.
  • They need an exorcist to figure out what in the devil possessed them to return to their worst form from last season.
  • We all now agree with Churchill's adage: democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.
  • Wilful impediment of the sacred moves was not only ill-mannered, but the worst form of blasphemy.
► get off to a good/bad etc start
  • Admit temporary defeat with good grace, retreat, reconsider and wait.
  • But he tucked his manuscript away with a good grace.
  • He threw himself with good grace into everything, even this.
  • Life is very crude, and bonnie Princes Street a dream, but we soldier on with a good grace.
  • Mr Macmillan was, according to colleagues, prepared to give way with good grace when he could not carry the Cabinet.
  • Sport only thrives if both parties play by the rules, and accept the results with good grace.
  • They accept his habitual interruptions with good grace.
  • This must have been irksome for them, but Mrs Webster accepted it as her war work with good grace.
  • I felt miserable and realised the hair of my dreams had turned into the worst bad hair day you could imagine.
  • Your basic bad hair day at the photo lab.
  • The pizza here isn't half bad.
► in a good/an ill/a bad humour
  • Sarah's not a very good judge of character.
  • And for all his imagination, he was not a good judge of character on limited acquaintance.
  • But Anya's a better judge of character than she used to be, back in the old homeland.
  • He's also a good judge of a quick run.
  • He was a good judge of character, hated hypocrisy, and had no time for conceit.
  • I didn't protest as it was his fence officially, and he was supposed to be a good judge of torque.
  • It was not that he was too sure of himself simply that he was a good judge of the possible.
  • Munnings, he told reporters, was a better judge of horses than paintings.
  • And you men and half of Terminus as well are just as bad.
  • At home it was just as bad.
  • I would say the top teams are just as good, but the lesser teams have caught up a little bit.
  • It was just as good a place as any to get away from Julius for a while.
  • Now Allan Ahlberg has written two more stories about the same skeletons, and they're just as good.
  • Or something else, just as bad, could happen.
  • People accuse the whites of being prejudiced, but blacks can be just as bad.
  • Virginia says sending them to a sister training program it has established at nearby Mary Baldwin College is just as good.
  • But, like the National Health Service, education could be seen in a different light.
  • He found there a country whose characteristics cast the philosophy of birth control in a new light.
  • I've seen him at a distance, I've seen him in bad light.
  • I think we both saw young Mr Venn in new lights, and they were neither favorable nor unfavorable, just new.
  • It makes you think about those sullen high schoolers in a different light, see their lives along a time line.
  • So let us fantasise, and see industry and agriculture in a new light.
  • They literally saw the whole world in a new light.
  • They perch too far away in bad light.
  • Bad luck, Paul. I'm sure you'll pass next time.
  • It was just bad luck that she happened to get sick that day.
  • Oh what a shame. Bad luck Chris.
  • She seems to have nothing but bad luck when it comes to men.
  • Talk about bad luck! Last night Ray's car was broken into for the second time this month.
  • All that stood in the way of victory was a touch of bad luck.
  • Despite their current run of bad luck, the Giants are drawing record crowds at Scottsdale Stadium.
  • Is it because such a meeting would bring bad luck or is there another reason?
  • It is your bad luck if the warren you choose to ferret is one of these.
  • Only bad luck and poor finishing prevented Hibs from grabbing an equaliser.
  • They believe it is bad luck.
  • Can't have that, can we, not on top of all your other hard luck.
  • He felt that this little piece of bad luck might affect his whole day.
  • I kept looking into the mirror and hating my bad luck, but there they were.
  • There were lots of near misses: some great saves from both keepers, and sheer bad luck.
  • Unfortunately, the gents had bad luck.
  • You go up there with the wrong attitude and come out with worse luck than you had before.
  • Bad luck for Venus, worse luck for the 12,000 fans, but hey, what can you do?
  • I have to go to secretarial school, worse luck.
  • Nearly all gone now, worse luck, and the guv'nor's arrived to read the riot act.
  • You're a bad agent and you're worse luck.
  • You go up there with the wrong attitude and come out with worse luck than you had before.
► well-mannered/bad-mannered etc► be meant to be good/excellent/bad etc
  • House prices are very low, which is good news for first-time buyers.
  • Although the licensing agreement is good news for Apple, some wonder whether it is too little, too late.
  • As Ohio goes, so goes the nation, and that may be good news for President Clinton.
  • Gordon Brown also promised Labour would be good news for big employers ... like the nearby Rover plant in Cowley.
  • Growing demand for such equipment is good news for the helicopter's distributors McAlpine based at Kidlington in Oxfordshire.
  • Paperwork for files has been reduced and the threshold for compliance raised; both changes are good news for filers.
  • The latest financial results are good news for a company that has struggled for years.
  • This is good news for the hotelier who is prepared.
  • This theft can only be bad news for the preservation movement.
► he’s/she’s bad news► in good nick/in bad nick etc
  • Although the animal glowed rosy-pink, it appeared none the worse for its ordeal.
  • I recovered, my mouth none the worse for it, after all.
  • Peter's little pet was clearly none the worse for its time in the underworld.
► the good old days/the bad old days
  • All I can say to that is that I have a higher opinion of your judgement than he has.
  • He did not, in any case, have a high opinion of Santayana - an animus which Santayana reciprocated towards Eliot.
  • Politicians generally have a low opinion of the press, just as the press generally has a low opinion of lawmakers.
  • She does not seem to have a high opinion of married life.
  • Even when they knew he was going through a bad patch they would continue to deliver dangerous back-passes to him.
  • Every team goes through a bad patch.
  • Evode has gone through a sticky patch.
  • Having hit a bad patch, financially, I decided I must try for some paid work with my knitting machine.
  • Ruefully, she recalled her pleasure at the way the book, after a difficult patch, had begun to develop.
  • Sometimes I am a real power pack of efficiency; then I hit a bad patch.
  • Talk about hitting a bad patch.
  • The Royal Family is certainly going through a rough patch.
► turn up like a bad penny► be in a good/bad etc place► plumb the depths (of despair/misery/bad taste etc)
  • An annex citing examples of good practice would also be helpful.
  • Carlesimo said Tuesday, adding that Marshall had just put in his best practice of camp.
  • It is good practice to make a note of the client's telephone number on the file.
  • Supporters of those with special needs should be exemplars of such good practice.
  • The good practice presented in Table 2 and Appendix 3 addresses many of the factors important to the control of risk.
  • There is a danger in the search for good practice of looking only at those schools with good academic records.
  • These premises are often inadequate to support good practice.
  • This week, for example, the permanent secretaries of all government departments will meet to discuss best practice in procurement.
► get/be given a bad press
  • She said social programs of the 1960s have gotten a bad rap in the 1990s.
  • They got me on a bum rap.
  • Yalta's bad name was in some ways a bum rap.
  • My worst fears were realized when I saw the test questions.
  • His worst fears were realized and he was arrested.
  • Although he was a good sailor, Columbus was a bad governor.
  • As a yacht delivery skipper he had to be a damn good sailor.
  • Even the best sailors can be swept into them, apart from which they can cause all sorts of damage to your equipment.
  • How he got there no-one knows, but he was a very good sailor and an even better artist.
  • I have never been a good sailor, and kept to my bunk for the first part of the journey.
  • Ironically I do not make a very good sailor.
  • Turns out all of us are pretty good sailors.
  • Alcohol and western cigarettes are best sellers.
  • Convinced it had a best seller on its hands, Random House came up with the unorthodox idea of relaunching the book.
  • Drosnin is an investigative newspaper reporter who once wrote a best seller about Howard Hughes.
  • His album Stars was last year's best seller and spawned a string of hit singles.
  • It was the earliest best seller.
  • Q.. What makes a book a best seller?
  • The man who made a best seller out of a defamatory rant now wants to make a best seller out of repentance.
  • Voice over Mrs De Winter is already tipped as being one of the best sellers this year.
  • But if I was in better shape, I'd be sitting up there.
  • He could still be in good shape.
  • He said Texpool is in good shape now.
  • If only he could tell them he was all right, in good shape, considering ...
  • This saw the band in good shape, retaining their traditions of twisted passions and bleak emotional narratives.
  • This year, however, Dole appears in good shape in both locations.
  • Uptown was still in bad shape.
  • We found he was in good shape, but had no food in his intestines.
  • But Nogai's a good shot.
  • Ed Kelley was a good shot.
  • He made a good shot from there and holed a three-foot putt for a quadruple-bogey eight.
  • If I hit a bad shot, I try to minimize its effect.
  • Klingler made it clear at the end of 1996 that he wanted a better shot at moving up the depth chart.
  • That much was the least expected of a hunter who had made a bad shot.
  • They have a better shot at claiming the governorship.
  • Tom played a bad shot out of the bunker, and he does no more than charge straight at this press guy.
► show somebody in a good/bad etc light
  • But so happen, one little boy not so good.
  • But it's not so bad down here.
  • Compared to how I feel, how I look is not so bad.
  • It is not so good at knowing how to do it.
  • My tongue not so good anyway.
  • She began to think that perhaps village life was not so bad.
  • Some years it was bad, other years not so bad.
  • When he was hot, he was hot, but for me the whole thing was not so good.
  • Only good spellers can spell easily orally.
  • They give the good speller a chance to use his skill, but may depress a poor speller.
  • He told everyone Norm was a hothead, a poor sport, a disgrace as a Catholic, and a lousy catcher.
  • It is not good for a player to be considered a poor sport.
  • And 245 specialty stock funds that focus on particular industries did better still, averaging a 6. 5 percent gain.
  • But perhaps the early evening was better still?
  • He didn't talk because he was afraid of losing the pole or, worse still, falling in.
  • I started to hunt for a cheap restaurant or, better still, a snack shop.
  • I thought that it would soon pass, and it did - for you to work harder still.
  • Or better still, make a real talent show instead.
  • Or better still, there was the village school practically next door!
  • With hindsight, it would have better still to lock in a few more gains.
  • Ellie's the type of person that always thinks the best of people.
  • He thought the worst of Mitch and clearly thought that left to herself she would ring London at once.
  • I was so ready to think the worst of him, she wailed inwardly.
  • My immediate reaction, whether it be a man or a woman, is to think the worst of them.
  • The prospect of Guy leaving, thinking the worst of her, was unbearable.
  • Why should you think the worst of me?
  • You always think the worst of me.
► good/bad timekeeper
  • She was only trying to do James a good turn.
  • And the worst was yet to come.
  • Her third night here and it had been the worst one yet.
  • No, the worst ... Yet is she listening now?
  • That was the worst task yet, as Psyche saw when she approached the waterfall.
  • The decision opens the biggest policy rift yet between Holyrood and Westminster.
  • The two have returned from a disastrous holiday in Greecebut the worst is yet to come.
1not good unpleasant or likely to cause problems OPP  good:  I have some bad news for you. I thought things couldn’t possibly get any worse. The plane was delayed for several hours by bad weather. It’s difficult to break bad habits. a bad smell2low quality low in quality or below an acceptable standard OPP  good:  The failure of the company was due to bad management. Your handwriting is so bad I can hardly read it. That was the worst movie I’ve ever seen.3not sensible [usually before noun] not sensible, or not suitable in a particular situation OPP  good:  Cutting spending at this time is a bad idea. Making big changes in your diet all at once is a bad thing to do.4morally wrong morally wrong or evil OPP  good:  He’s a bad man – keep away from him. → bad guy5wrong behaviour spoken doing something you should not do, or behaving in a wrong way – used especially about children or pets SYN  naughty:  Katie was very bad today!bad girl/dog etc Bad cat! Get off the table!6serious serious or severe:  He was in a bad accident. The pain in my side is worse than it was yesterday.7a bad time/moment etc a time that is not suitable or causes problems:  It’s a bad time to have to borrow money, with interest rates so high. You’ve come at the worst possible moment. I have a meeting in five minutes.8harmful damaging or harmful:  Pollution is having a bad effect on fish stocks.bad for Smoking is bad for your health. Too much salt can be bad for you. It is bad for kids to be on their own so much.9food food that is bad is not safe to eat because it has decayed:  bad fish This milk has gone bad.10no skill having no skill or ability in a particular activitybad at (doing) something I’m really bad at chess. They have got to be the worst band on the planet.11bad heart/leg/back etc a heart, leg etc that is injured or does not work correctly:  I haven’t been able to do much because of my bad back.12language bad language is rude or offensive:  We were shocked to hear the little boy using bad language in front of his mother. Jacky said a bad word!13be in a bad mood (also be in a bad temper British English) to feel annoyed or angry:  The boss is in a bad mood.14 feel bad a)to feel ashamed or sorry about somethingfeel bad about (doing) something I felt bad about not being able to come last night.bad for I feel bad for Ann – she studied so hard for that test and she still didn’t pass. b)to feel ill15not bad spoken used to say that something is good, or better than you expected:  ‘How are you?’ ‘Oh, not bad.’ That’s not a bad idea.16not too/so bad spoken used to say that something is not as bad as expected:  The exams weren’t so bad.17too bad spoken a)used to say that you do not care that something bad happens to someone:  ‘I’m going to be late now!’ ‘Too bad – you should have gotten up earlier.’ b)used to say that you are sorry that something bad has happened to someone:  It’s too bad that you couldn’t come to the party last night.18go from bad to worse to become even more unpleasant or difficult:  The schools have gone from bad to worse in this area.19be in a bad way informal to be very ill, unhappy, or injured, or not in a good condition:  She was in a bad way after the funeral.20a bad name if something has a bad name, people do not respect or trust ithave/get a bad name The bar had a bad name and was avoided by all the locals.give somebody/something a bad name These annoying tourists give all Americans a bad name.21bad lot/sort/type British English old-fashioned someone who is morally bad or cannot be trusted22bad penny British English someone or something that causes trouble and is difficult to avoid:  Sure enough, Steve turned up like the proverbial bad penny (=suddenly appeared).23be taken bad British English informal to become ill:  He was taken bad in the middle of the night.24in bad faith if someone does something in bad faith, they are behaving dishonestly and have no intention of keeping a promise:  In order to sue, you have to prove that the company was acting in bad faith.25bad news spoken informal someone or something that always causes trouble:  I’d avoid her if I were you. She’s bad news.26bad form British English old-fashioned socially unacceptable behaviour:  It’s bad form to argue with the umpire.27bad blood angry or bitter feelings between peoplebad between There’s too much bad blood between them.28not have a bad word to say about/against somebody if no one has a bad word to say about a particular person, everyone likes and respects that person29it’s bad enough ... spoken used to say that you already have one problem, so that you do not want to worry about or deal with another one:  It’s bad enough having to bring up three kids on your own, without having to worry about money as well!30something can’t be bad spoken used to persuade someone that something is good or worth doing:  You only pay £10 deposit and no interest – that can’t be bad, can it?31 (comparative badder, superlative baddest) spoken informal especially American English a)used when you think something is very good:  Now that’s a bad car! b)someone who is bad is very determined and does not always obey rules – used to show approval—badness noun [uncountable]THESAURUSbad not good: · a bad idea· His behaviour is getting worse.poor not as good as it could be or should be: · A poor diet can lead to ill health.· his poor performance at schoolnot very good not good – often used instead of saying directly that something was ‘bad’, especially when you were disappointed by it: · The film wasn’t very good.disappointing not as good as you hoped or expected: · Her exam results were disappointing.· a disappointing start to the campaignnegative bad – used when talking about the bad result or effect of something: · All the publicity had a negative impact on sales.· the negative effects of climate changeundesirable formal bad and not wanted: · The policy had some undesirable consequences.· drug abuse and other undesirable behaviourunfavourable formal unfavourable conditions are not good for doing something: · The boat race was cancelled because of unfavourable weather.very badawful/terrible/dreadful especially British English very bad: · The movie was awful.· Her house is in a terrible state.· a dreadful crimehorrible very bad, especially in a way that shocks or upsets you: · He describes prison as ‘a horrible place’.· It was a horrible experience.disgusting smelling or tasting very bad: · The food was disgusting.· The fish smelled disgusting.lousy /ˈlaʊzi/ informal very bad or disappointing: · The weather has been lousy all week.· I’m fed up with this lousy job.ghastly /ˈɡɑːstli $ ˈɡæstli/ British English informal very bad: · I’ve had a ghastly day.· a ghastly mistakesevere severe problems, injuries, illnesses etc are very bad and serious: · The country faces severe economic problems.· severe delays· He suffered severe head injuries in a car crash.atrocious/appalling/horrendous extremely bad in a way that is shocking: · Her behaviour has been absolutely atrocious.· The country has an appalling human rights record.abysmal /əˈbɪzməl/ very bad and of a very low standard: · The team’s performance was abysmal.· the abysmal conditions in some prisons
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更新时间：2025/3/12 12:17:29