gone bad

Food or another stored product has become too old or damaged to use safely.

• The milk has gone bad.
• We threw away some meat that had gone bad.
• Has this paint gone bad after years in the shed?

Similar words: spoiled, rotten, off

Opposites: fresh

Common phrases: milk gone bad, food gone bad, already gone bad

A person or group has stopped behaving well and started doing dishonest or criminal things.

• He was a good man gone bad.
• The film follows a police officer who has gone bad.
• They discovered that their trusted business partner had gone bad.

Similar words: corrupt, crooked

Common phrases: a cop gone bad, people gone bad, a company gone bad

A crime has unexpectedly become violent and caused serious harm to someone.

• Police described a robbery gone bad.
• Two people were shot during a drug deal gone bad.
• The victim was badly hurt in a theft that had gone bad.

Common phrases: a robbery gone bad, drug deal gone bad, a theft gone bad

An area has become dangerous to live in or visit.

• The neighbourhood has gone bad.
• They moved away from an area that had gone bad.
• It is sad to see our old district gone bad.

Similar words: unsafe, dangerous

Opposites: safe

Common phrases: a neighbourhood gone bad, an area gone bad, a district gone bad