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Glite Dictionary
⚙️ To break down 🥛 To spoil
to go bad

to go bad

32 2.1
Become unsafe to eat or use because it has spoiled
  • phrasal verb
  • /ɡoʊ bæd/
translation icon : echarse a perder
  • My bananas were going bad... - Enough!
  • food going bad
  • meat going bad
  • loan goes bad

Food is just going bad at an alarming like just quickly.

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Examples

Synonyms

to turn
vsto go bad
433 4.6

Go bad, especially food or drink

focuses on general unfitness to eat rather than sourness
to deteriorate
vsto go bad
146 5.9

To get worse in quality, condition, or value

describes becoming unfit to eat because of decay rather than general worsening
to spoil
vsto go bad
30 1.6

To go bad and not be safe to eat

is a two-word phrase rather than a single verb
to go sour
vsto go bad
17 4.1

To become bad or fail, for example a relationship

refers specifically to becoming unfit to eat rather than failing or being problematic
to rot away
vsto go bad
16 4.2

To slowly become weaker or fall apart because it is not cared for

is about becoming unfit to use or eat rather than slow physical destruction
to go to pot
vsto go bad
  • Informal
3 8.2

To become ruined or not cared for

means becoming unfit to eat or use because of decay rather than general neglect

Antonyms

to stay fresh
4 2.1

Remain in good condition and not go bad

How Spoiled

to spoil
30 1.6
to go bad
32 2.1
to rot
156 1.4
to decompose
  • Specialized
37 4.4

Surface Forms

go bad infinitive
going bad present participle
goes bad third person singular
went bad past
gone bad past participle

Morphology

go + bad

The phrase literally combines 'go' (come to be in a state) + 'bad' (not good/spoiled), so a learner can derive a general meaning 'become bad' from the parts. However the specific sense (spoil, become defective, or stop functioning) depends on context and is an extension of the basic compositional meaning, so the exact interpretation may not be fully predictable without exposure.

Etymology

The verb go bad comes from the simple image of food turning rotten: the verb go means 'become' and bad means 'not good to eat'. When milk or fruit is left out it smells or grows mold, so it has 'gone bad' and is 'not safe to eat'.