English Reference
Idiom idiom

bad hair day


A day when things seem to be unmanageable or go wrong.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

“I'm having a bad hair day today.”

CONTEXTUAL

“After spilling coffee and missing the bus, she admitted it was just a bad hair day.”

COMPLEX

“Nothing seemed to go right that morning: the toast burned, the car wouldn't start, and by noon he accepted it was simply a bad hair day.”


disputed origin

Said to have been coined by British trichologist Philip Kingsley (1930–2016).


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    a cold day in July

    The time of occurrence of an event that will never happen.

  2. 02

    a day late and a dollar short

    Too late and too feeble to achieve the desired effect.

  3. 03

    a year and a day

    A long time.

  4. 04

    all one's born days

    One's whole life.

  5. 05

    as the day is long

    Unceasingly; very; thoroughly; to a very high degree.

  6. 06

    bad actor

    An individual or entity with a prior criminal conviction, or who has been sanctioned by the court or regulator.

  7. 07

    bad apple

    A person who is not wholesome, honest, or trustworthy, especially one who has an adverse influence on others.

  8. 08

    bad books

    Disfavor.

Last updated August 10, 2026