bad man

noun

, Older Use.

1. (sometimes initial capital letters) the devil.
2. the bogeyman.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bad man¹

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55

Example Sentences

What’s scary is not what Reed has in store for them, but how these young women already know how to placate and navigate a Bad Man, how to “politely wrap this up.”

From Los Angeles Times

"He’s a bad man and his time has come. This is a present for everyone. Both Palestinians who are with us and the Jews."

From BBC

"He was a bad, bad man. He destroyed me, he destroyed my school," the former pupil said.

From BBC

At a recent rally in Minnesota, Trump embraced his bad behavior and foul temperament, telling his cheering followers that he is a bad man:

From Salon

The fantasy that every bad man would get his due, with the violent ones in jail and the manipulative ones made personae non grata, has not played out.

From Slate