ENGLISH
REFERENCE

bad thing

idiom
Meaning

An event, action, or situation that is negative or causes problems. People often say 'it's a bad thing when...' to describe something unfortunate.


Origin

first recorded 20th c.

Originally from the 1930 book 1066 And All That by W.C. Sellar & R.J. Yeatman, popularized through hacker culture.

Examples
SIMPLE

It is a bad thing to lie to your friends.

CONTEXTUAL

It is a bad thing when you lose your keys right before you need to leave for work.

COMPLEX

While some argue that failure is a bad thing, it often provides the essential experience needed to succeed in the future.

Last updated April 22, 2026