English Reference
Idiom idiom

too bad


That's a pity.

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


SIMPLE

“Too bad — I wanted to go to the concert.”

CONTEXTUAL

“The restaurant was fully booked, which was too bad because we were really looking forward to it.”

COMPLEX

“The rain ruined the picnic, and though she said it was too bad, her disappointment was plain to see.”


A shortening of the constructions "That is too bad" or "It is too bad that...", where the initial pronoun and verb are omitted.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    bad actor

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

  2. 02

    bad apple

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

  3. 03

    bad books

    Disfavor.

  4. 04

    bad business

    Synonym of bad news (“irritating, troublesome or harmful thing, situation or person”).

  5. 05

    bad company

    The wrong crowd.

  6. 06

    bad egg

    Someone whose behaviour is reprehensible or irresponsible; a rogue.

  7. 07

    bad hair day

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

  8. 08

    bad iron

    bad luck.

Last updated August 10, 2026