go bad

Idioms and Phrases

Spoil, decay; also, turn to crime. For example, You can tell from the smell that this milk has gone bad , or If he keeps running around with that street gang, he's sure to go bad . [Late 1800s]

Example Sentences

Many places tend to order too much food, which often ends up getting thrown away or going bad.

From Salon

Trump often soured on appointees who seemed drawn to the limelight during his first term, and even the warmest of relationships could go bad.

From BBC

It is a daily reminder of how things went bad in 2020 and never fully recovered.

From Salon

The masa isn’t going away — but it will go bad if you neglect it.

From Los Angeles Times

Now, his biggest deal ever has gone bad and he’s struggling to save his namesake company.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• atrophy
• corrode
• decompose
• degenerate
• discolor
• disintegrate
• dissolve
• dwindle
• fade
• get worse
• lessen
• mortify
• pollute
• rot
• shrivel
• wane
• wither