Phrase guide

good cop bad cop

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A psychological tactic used for interrogation, involving one police officer playing the role of intimidating adversary, and another that of friend with whom the subject is encouraged to bond.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An analogous negotiation or interrogation tactic.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Cantonese: 做好做醜 /做好做丑 (zou6 hou2 zou6 cau2) — psychological tactic
  • Chinese Mandarin: 一個唱紅臉,一個唱白臉 — psychological tactic
  • Chinese Mandarin: 一个唱红脸,一个唱白脸 — psychological tactic
  • Chinese Mandarin: 红脸白脸 — psychological tactic
  • Finnish: hyvä poliisi, paha poliisi — psychological tactic
  • French: méchant flic, gentil flic — psychological tactic
  • French: bon flic, mauvais flic — psychological tactic
  • German: guter Bulle, böser Bulle — psychological tactic
  • Greek: καλός και κακός αστυφύλακας (kalós kai kakós astyfýlakas) — psychological tactic
  • Polish: dobry i zły glina — psychological tactic
  • Polish: dobry i zły policjant — psychological tactic
  • Spanish: poli bueno poli malo — psychological tactic