Phrase guide

too bad

phrase · 4 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

phrase

Meaning 1

That's a pity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • You can't come to the party? Too bad.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: pity, shame, that's a pity, that's a shame, that's too bad, what a pity, what a shame

Antonyms: none provided

2

phrase

Meaning 2

It is sad that.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • Too bad you can't come to the party.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: alas

Antonyms: none provided

3

phrase

Meaning 3

A mocking expression of uncaring or schadenfreude as an answer to someone when upset.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, sarcastic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

deserving regret

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • regrettable remarks
  • it's regrettable that she didn't go to college
  • it's too bad he had no feeling himself for church

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: regrettable

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Shortening of "That is too bad" or "It is too bad that..."

Across languages

Translations

55 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: жа́лко (žálko) — that's a pity
  • Catalan: llàstima — that's a pity
  • Chinese Mandarin: 太可惜了 (tài kěxī le) — that's a pity
  • Chinese Mandarin: 真遺憾 /真遗憾 (zhēn yíhàn) — that's a pity
  • Czech: škoda! — that's a pity
  • Dutch: wat jammer — that's a pity
  • Dutch: jammer — that's a pity
  • Finnish: ikävää — that's a pity
  • Finnish: harmillista — that's a pity
  • French: tant pis — that's a pity
  • French: dommage — that's a pity
  • French: quel dommage — that's a pity
  • Galician: que mágoa — that's a pity
  • Galician: moito mal — that's a pity
  • German: schade — that's a pity
  • Greek: κρίμα (kríma) — that's a pity
  • Hebrew: חֲבָל (ẖavál) — that's a pity
  • Hungarian: kár — that's a pity
  • Irish: is mór an trua — that's a pity
  • Italian: peccato — that's a pity
  • Japanese: 残念です (zan'nendesu) — that's a pity
  • Low German: schaad — that's a pity
  • Macedonian: штета (šteta) — that's a pity
  • Malay: kasihannya! — that's a pity
  • Plautdietsch: schod — that's a pity
  • Polish: jaka szkoda — that's a pity
  • Portuguese: que pena — that's a pity
  • Romanian: păcat — that's a pity
  • Russian: как жа́лко (kak žálko) — that's a pity
  • Russian: жаль (žalʹ) — that's a pity
  • Serbo-Croatian: штета — that's a pity
  • Serbo-Croatian: šteta — that's a pity
  • Spanish: que lástima — that's a pity
  • Spanish: ni modo — that's a pity
  • Spanish: qué mal — that's a pity
  • Thai: น่าเสียดาย (nâa-sǐia-daai) — that's a pity
  • Thai: น่าสงสาร (nâa-sǒng-sǎan) — that's a pity
  • Turkish: yazık — that's a pity
  • Ukrainian: шкода (škoda) — that's a pity
  • Ukrainian: жаль (žalʹ) — that's a pity
  • Vietnamese: đáng tiếc — that's a pity
  • Welsh: hen dro — that's a pity
  • Welsh: bechod — that's a pity
  • Chinese Mandarin: 太可惜了 (tài kěxī le) — it is sad that
  • Chinese Mandarin: 真遺憾 /真遗憾 (zhēn yíhàn) — it is sad that
  • Finnish: harmi — it is sad that
  • Finnish: sepä harmi — it is sad that
  • French: dommage que — it is sad that
  • Galician: que mágoa — it is sad that
  • Galician: moito mal — it is sad that
  • Polish: szkoda że — it is sad that
  • Portuguese: que pena que — it is sad that
  • Russian: к сожале́нию (k sožaléniju) — it is sad that
  • Chinese Mandarin: 活該 /活该 (huógāi) — mocking expression
  • Finnish: sepä harmi — mocking expression