Down Bad

You have hit a low point when you are down bad, whether in your love life, career, or friendships. For example, you are down bad when you ask your crush out, and she cruelly rejects you.

The term comes from "Down Bad," a song released by J.Cole in 2019 that describes how hard he's worked to climb out of his dire situation. The saying then became popular on social media in 2020-21.

When do people use down bad?

You will primarily see down bad in the context of a thirsty person getting rejected. Or, a person that's just so thirsty they are tormented. Various Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok social media accounts even specialize in sharing screenshots of people's epic fails when shooting their shot.

However, people may also use down bad to describe any time they are feeling down in the dumps. For example, if your BFF betrays your trust, you may be down bad. Or, if ten employers in a row reject you, you might be down bad.