British Slang For Bad (13 Examples!)

Most of the time, when we want to describe something as bad, that word alone is completely insufficient.

It doesn’t convey much detail, it just indicates that something is not good.

The British, then, have developed a wide lexicon of slang terms for bad that can be substituted to indicate more specific meanings and more particular kinds of “badness”.

Today, we’re going to look at some of these terms, what they mean, and where they come from.

Let’s get started.

In This Article

Shit

To start off with a simple one, first we have “sh*t”.

Naturally, this is profanity, so you want to be careful with the contexts in which you use it.

Generally speaking, though, this is perhaps the single most common slang term in Britain used to mean bad.

It is used across generations and in virtually every corner of the country.

Naturally many people are not naturally inclined to swear in their day-to-day lives, but the vast majority are.

Further, “sh*t” can mean many levels of bad, though at the very least it means very bad.

“That new movie was so sh*t,” for example.

This is a very old term, though it has undergone a lot of changes during its lifetime.

It ultimately derives from the Old English word scitan, in turn coming from the Proto-Germanic skit meaning “to cut”.

The idea is that your “sh*t” is literally a separation from your body.

By the 1600s it was the taboo word we know today, and even as late as 1922 it was still drawing censorship from publishers.

Pish

Next we have “pish”, certainly a more regionally specific one as you won’t hear this one used much outside of Scotland.

Most commonly you’ll hear it in Glasgow though it is used in Scotland more generally.

It can have some subtly different senses, but one way or another, if something is pish, then it certainly isn’t good.

It could be because something is making you impatient, annoying you, or even causing you disgust. It isn’t limited to any particular age demographic, and you’ll hear this one used by just about everyone in parts of Scotland.

“I used to like their music, it’s pish now,” for example.

This term is also very old, and is attested in writing by the 1590s at the earliest.

No doubt in the spoken vernacular, it predates this by at least a few decades.

It’s thought that it was and still is simply a natural utterance.

That is to say that this is little more than a noise that you make when you are disgusted with something—and speak with a Glaswegian accent!

Wank

Next we have “w*nk”, another common slang term used in Britain that you also definitely want to be careful with how and where you use it.

It’s certainly profanity, though that doesn’t stop it from also being one of the most common slang terms for bad in Britain.

It’s again used across generations and isn’t really limited to any one particular group—it started being used in this way decades ago but the younger generations have certainly picked it up, too.

It has the sense of something being completely worthless and not worth considering.

“This bar is w*nk, let’s go somewhere else,” for example.

“W*nk” in British slang is a verb meaning to masturbate.

This is attested from 1948, though again we can presume it predates this by at least a few years.

It was originally just a noun referring to the act itself, though in the 1950s it expanded to become a noun, too. In the last few decades, it has developed again to become an adjective, though precisely when this happened is unfortunately not clear to see.

Minging

“Minging” is another common slang term used in Britain, though primarily in the north of England.

This one can be used to describe anything bad, though more often than not it has the sense of something disgusting or unpleasant.

It is certainly much more common among young people today, and generally not a term you’ll hear adults use all that much.

In all likelihood, you’re more likely to hear it pronounced “mingin’” with the G dropped, just to avoid any potential confusion.

“They’ve changed the recipe for this, it’s mingin’ now,” for example.

The origin of this term is not really clear.

Some think it originated in Scotland in the 1970s, derived from the other Scottish slang “ming” which meant bad smelling or unpleasant in general.

Some, on the other hand, believe it is related to the term “minge”, a slang term for the female genitalia in Britain.

Unfortunately, we just don’t know for sure.

Rank

Next, we have “rank”, another common slang term used for bad in Britain.

It can be used in a variety of ways, though again it is most often used in the sense of something disgusting or off-putting.

It has expanded to just mean bad in general, though, depending on where you are.

Again, this one is most commonly used in the north of England, though you’ll hear it everywhere in Britain.

It could be used for a person, for food, or perhaps most commonly for a very bad smell.

“What is that? It smells rank,” for example.

This is a very old term as best we can tell.

By the middle of the 14^th Century, the word had come to mean excessive, unpleasant, corrupt, loathsome and foul.

It’s thought that this was influenced by the French word rance, which meant “rancid”.

It was later, by the 1520s, that it came to mean “having an offensive smell”.

So, it’s come rather a long way with its meaning only somewhat altered.

Grim

Next, we have “grim”, a common slang term across Britain meaning bad.

This word somewhat toes the line between slang and Standard English, since the word naturally is just a standard word.

However, in that standard definition, it is much more specific, whereas in this slang sense, it has a more general use and application.

It is not really geographically or demographically limited, so you could hear it from anyone at any point in the country.

“The future looks a bit grim to be honest,” for example.

The term is very old, though it’s meaning has again changed a lot over time.

The original Old English word grimm referred to fierceness and savagery, particularly a “grim” person who angrily and fiercely carried out their duties or exerted their control over people.

The more modern sense of “gloomy” and “dreary” is from the 12^th Century or so, and it more or less retains this meaning now well over 900 years later.

Bollocks

“Bollocks” is another way of saying something is bad using British slang.

This again can have subtly different senses depending on who is using it and in what context.

It is very often used as an equivalent to “bullsh*t”, in the sense of saying something is not true and that it is ridiculous to think it was.

So, naturally, this one is also profanity—so watch how you use it.

However, more generally, “b*llocks” can be a term used simply to say something is bad in a very particular kind of way.

You are deriding it as stupid or ridiculous, and thus not worth your time.

“This new company poliy is bollocks,” for example.

The term specifically means a man’s testicles, and this term is first attested in 1744.

It still has this meaning, and this is understood to be the basis of the wider meaning.

It is first attested in 1919 in this more modern sense, as a kind of ejaculation equivalent to saying “nonsense” or something similar.

Since then, it also came to be a term used to describe something as bad in a general sense, though when this happened is not clear.

Crap

Another universal one that you’ll hear just about everywhere in Britain is “crap”.

Again, this one is usually considered profanity, although it’s certainly not as bad as some of the other terms on the list.

It’s light profanity at worst, though you should still of course be careful with how you use it.

This one is very simple in its meaning, simply having the sense of bad and worthless.

It could be used to describe anything, from food to music to a car.

It is perhaps somewhat more common among older generations, but everyone uses it to some extent.

“That car is a piece of crap, you need a new one,” for example.

The term has the more literal sense of defecating, and this meaning comes to us from around 1846.

However, the terms from which it is derived are a good deal older.

In general, these terms were applied to things you didn’t need which you would throw away, like weeds growing in your crops.

These probably ultimately derived from Middle English crappe, which meant grain that had been trodden underfoot—like chaff, meaning husks of crops that would discard.

**F*cked**

Another common slang term for bad in Britain is to say that something is “f*cked”.

Again, this can have slightly different meanings depending on the context.

It is perhaps most commonly used to mean something is bad in the sense that it is broken or useless.

It can more broadly have a similar sense that something more abstract has gotten out of hand or become chaotic.

This term is again not limited by age or location, and you’ll be just as likely to hear this used by any one person in any one place in Britain as anywhere else.

“I can’t keep living like this, it’s f*cked,” for example.

Naturally, this is derivative of the universal English profanity, “f*ck”, and this is definitely one you want to avoid in polite conversation!

Despite how common the term is, tracing its origin is remarkably difficult. It was often omitted from dictionaries as it has always been taboo.

The written form is first attested from the early 16^th Century, then as fukkit.

It could be related to the Middle English fyke, meaning to fidget, though the reality is we just don’t know and may never be certain.

Pants

To move on from the more taboo and controversial words which you’ll probably want to avoid using in most unfamiliar contexts, next we have “pants”.

This is a very mild slang term in Britain used to say something is rubbish and not worth one’s time.

It’s obviously not something you use when you’re in any kind of serious conversation, and this is most likely to be used in relation to entertainment like TV or movies.

It is mostly used by older people today, though not exclusively.

“I don’t want to watch any more of that show, the last episode was pants,” for example.

It’s not clear when or where this term started being used. It’s fairly recent, and probably is not much more complicated than the idea that your underpants are not something other people want to think about, thus something that’s akin to underpants is bad.

This doesn’t seem to go much further back than the 1990s, though it may do—we just don’t know.

Naff

“Naff” is another common slang term in Britain that means something is bad in a more mild way.

The sense is just that something is a bit mediocre, again not worth your time, while not being so bad as to draw more serious ire.

This one is much more common in the south of England, though you’ll certainly be understood just about anywhere in Britain if you use this term.

It’s clear and simple in its directness, while at the same time not something you would use to describe something you really hated—just something that was kind of “meh”.

“The new ride at the amusement park is a bit naff,” for example.

It’s not entirely clear where this one comes from, though some think it derives from the 1960s gay slang of the British gay scene.

At that time, it had a slightly more specific sense of vulgar and despicable.

It had many other slang meanings throughout the years, though not all of them are connected and others are far more vulgar and specific.

The gay slang explanation is the most sound for this particular slang term.

Clapped

This one can have a few different meanings and you want to be careful with how you use it as some may construe it as a comment about promiscuity.

In more general terms, though, it just means something is bad.

It can be applied in any circumstance to just about anything, though it more often than not refers to a situation rather than a thing.

It’s also fairly limited both geographically and demographically—you won’t hear this used by everyone but just a small group of young people mostly in the south of England.

“My timetable for college is clapped,” for example.

Again, given that this term has multiple different slang meanings, it’s hard to say where this precise sense comes from.

The original sense of “clapped out” was of a person who was old and tired, and unhealthy.

This is probably where the broader meaning for the term came from.

However, it could also be instead related to “the clap” meaning chlamydia in British slang.

Rubbish

Another more or less universal slang term in Britain for bad, next we have “rubbish”.

This one is again used throughout the country and may be one of the most commonly used slang terms for bad.

It can be applied to just about anything and is used in all parts of Britain, from the south of England to the north of Scotland.

It can also have the sense, similarly to “b*llocks”, of “nonsense” or something that’s not true.

Usually, though, it means something is bad or mildly bad.

Again, it’s not restricted by age, and you’ll hear people of all ages using this term.

“I can’t believe how rubbish the season finale was!” for example.

The more standard meaning of “rubbish” in British English is waste and garbage.

This term derives from the 15^th Century, where the word robous referred to waste or broken material that you would throw away.

With the –ish ending it is attested from the later 15^th Century, and the more modern meaning developed out of this sometime in the 20^th Century.

So, you are far from short on choices of slang terms in Britain when you want to describe something as bad.

From the most insulting, taboo profanities to the simplest, most inoffensive and harmless slang terms, there are plenty of ways to call something bad in British slang.

For better or worse the British do have something of a reputation for their legendary ability to complain—and that’s plain to see in this tapestry of slang terms!

More in British Slang

Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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