bad trip

noun

, Slang.

1. a mentally or physically horrifying drug-taking experience, as one accompanied by nightmarish hallucinations or by physical pain.
2. a dismayingly unpleasant experience:

   He was so ill-prepared that college was a bad trip for him.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bad trip¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Idioms and Phrases

A frightening or otherwise very unpleasant experience, as in Given the poor turnout, her book tour was a bad trip . The term comes from drug slang of the mid-1900s, where it meant experiencing hallucinations, pain, or other terrible effects from taking a drug, especially LSD. It was then extended to any extremely unpleasant experience.

Example Sentences

The “Eric André Show” and “Bad Trip” comedian, who is Black, said he was stopped at the Melbourne Aiport as he was traveling from New York City to Brisbane, where he is set to shoot an upcoming project.

From Los Angeles Times

She had read online that it could reverse the effects of a so-called “bad trip” and had some on hand prepared for this very reason.

From Salon

“It made the experience much better since it gave me the option to stop the bad trip,” Nadia, who is using a pseudonym to protect her privacy, told Salon.

From Salon

Not every bad trip is necessarily negative, so some have resorted to calling them "challenging" experiences, understanding that frightening or uncomfortable trips can sometimes resolve themselves or offer "deep existential and life-altering insights," as one 2021 survey of Norwegian trippers put it.

From Salon

When a bad trip occurs, it can cause feelings of panic, losing one’s sanity, or physical illness like heart palpitations that can persist for weeks or even months after the psychedelics wear off, said Matthew Johnson, a Johns Hopkins Medicine professor studying psychedelics.

From Salon