down bad

adjective

slang
: in a bad state or condition: such as
a
: feeling or marked by strong and usually unrequited feelings of attraction, desire, or infatuation
The narrative of the video and the record is all about what it means to carry on in the face of unreciprocated love, how to keep going when you're hung up and down bad.Kaitlyn McNab
Ashley, on the other hand, was down bad for Gary and I suspect still is—despite her attempts to hide it.Meg Zukin
To say that Hae-jun's interest in Seo-rae is not strictly professional would be an understatement. From the moment he first lays eyes on her … he's down bad.Adam Nayman
b
: depressed, despondent
The first Sally Rooney book turned Hulu TV series, "Normal People," had me down bad in April. It was early quarantine and the show's romantic, physical and exciting story spoke to everything that wasn't present in my own life.Ryan Israel
c
: badly ill or injured
An offensive lineman for the Buffalo Bills, Dion Dawkins, is speaking out about his battle with COVID-19, one in which he spent four days in the hospital and says he lost at least 12 pounds. … "I was down bad, where I could barely move, and I was hurting."Biba Adams

Examples of down bad in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Meanwhile, Tristan is also down bad for Avery, admitting he’s long yearned to be with her. Claire Franken, TVLine, 26 Sep. 2024 Travis Kelce is anything but down bad about being Taylor Swift‘s arm candy. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 5 Sep. 2024 While Charlotte was standing with George between the heavens and the earth and his heart was calling her name, Lady Danbury was down bad for Violet’s father, a married man who couldn’t be seen with her in public. Kathleen Newman-Bremang, refinery29.com, 24 June 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'down bad.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1984, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of down bad was in 1984

Dictionary Entries Near down bad

Cite this Entry

“Down bad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/down%20bad. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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