bad off
In poor condition or trouble.
Updated September 21, 2026
bad off pronunciation
/bad OFF/
Meaning
Means in poor condition or trouble. Southern and Appalachian speakers still use "bad off" in ordinary talk. The examples keep the spoken shape instead of polishing it into classroom English.
How folks use it
- “They meant in poor condition or trouble, plain and simple: bad off.”
- “If somebody says bad off, they mean in poor condition or trouble.”
Origin and etymology
Alive in Southern and Appalachian English with the sense "in poor condition or trouble." Print history is uneven for some oral forms, so this entry sticks to how people use it now rather than guessing a folk story.