# my bad

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/my-bad
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

My fault; mea culpa.

## Examples

- I forgot to call you back, my bad.
- I used your favorite coffee mug without asking, my bad.
- I accidentally sent the email to the wrong person, so I told my boss, my bad.
- I realize now that I gave you the wrong directions to the restaurant, so my bad for making you late.
- I thought we were meeting at six instead of five, so my bad for leaving you waiting outside in the rain.
- He offered a quick, casual my bad when he realized he had interrupted the speaker during the final presentation.

## Origin

The term originated in the slang of pick-up basketball. It was notably popularised, though not originally coined, by the Sudanese player Manute Bol during his tenure with the Golden State Warriors in the late 1980s. Bol's teammates subsequently adopted the phrase, facilitating its transition from the court into general usage. The semantics are comparable to the Russian *оплошность* (*oplošnostʹ*), meaning a mistake or something bad, which is formed from *о-* (*o-*) and *плох* (*plox*), meaning bad.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.