Bad Blood: Meaning, Examples, Usage, Origin, and Quiz
Anger or hostility between people.
Quick Meaning of “Bad Blood”
Bad blood means anger, hostility, resentment, or long-lasting tension between people or groups.
Example: There is bad blood between the two teams.
What Does “Bad Blood” Mean?
The idiom “bad blood” means anger, bitterness, hostility, or negative feelings between people, teams, families, companies, or groups.
In simple terms, if people dislike each other because of past conflict or resentment, there is bad blood between them.
Meaning in Real Usage
In real English usage, “bad blood” is commonly used when talking about relationship problems, family conflict, workplace tension, rivalry, sports teams, business disputes, political conflict, and unresolved anger between people or groups.
Examples of “Bad Blood” in Sentences
There is bad blood between the two teams.
There has been bad blood between the brothers since the family business dispute.
The merger failed partly because years of bad blood between the two leadership teams made cooperation almost impossible.
Is This Idiom Formal or Informal?
“Bad blood” is a neutral and commonly used idiom. It works well in everyday conversation, workplace discussion, relationship writing, sports commentary, news-style writing, and semi-formal communication.
Real-Life Scenario
Two colleagues once worked together on a project, but one blamed the other for its failure. Since then, they avoid each other and argue in meetings. There is bad blood between them.
How to Use This Idiom Naturally
Use “bad blood” when there is anger, tension, resentment, or hostility between people or groups.
It is especially useful when discussing old conflicts, rivalries, family disputes, workplace tension, team conflict, or broken relationships.
Why Not Just Say “Hostility”?
Saying “bad blood” sounds more natural and conversational than simply saying “hostility.” It often suggests past conflict, emotional tension, and negative history between people or groups.
Common Mistake with “Bad Blood”
Do not understand this idiom literally as unhealthy blood. Bad blood means anger, hostility, or resentment between people or groups.
Similar Idioms to “Bad Blood”
These related idioms and expressions describe conflict, resentment, hostility, rivalry, and broken relationships.
Opposite Expressions
Opposite ideas include: “on good terms”, “make peace”, and “clear the air”, which describe improved relationships or the end of tension.
Origin of the Idiom “Bad Blood”
Did you know?
The idiom “bad blood” developed from older ideas connecting blood with family, emotion, temperament, and personal feeling.
Over time, it became a common English idiom for hostility, resentment, and negative feeling between people or groups.
Frequently Asked Questions About “Bad Blood”
What does “bad blood” mean?
It means anger, hostility, resentment, or tension between people or groups.
Is “bad blood” positive or negative?
It is negative because it describes conflict, anger, or damaged relationships.
Can I use “bad blood” in workplace English?
Yes. It can describe tension, conflict, or resentment between colleagues, teams, departments, or companies.
Quick Practice: Test Your Understanding of “Bad Blood”
Test your understanding of the idiom “bad blood” with these quick questions.
Question 1 - Meaning: What does “bad blood” mean?
Question 2 - Sentence Usage: Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Question 3 - Context: When is this idiom commonly used?
Question 4 - Similar Expression: Which expression has a related meaning?
Question 5 - Common Usage: What should you remember?
Key Takeaways
- “Bad blood” means anger, hostility, or resentment between people or groups.
- It is commonly used for relationship problems, rivalries, workplace tension, and old conflicts.
- It usually has a negative meaning.
- It should not usually be understood literally as a medical blood problem.
Final Learning Note
“Bad blood” is a useful intermediate relationship idiom for describing anger, hostility, resentment, or unresolved tension. Learn it when you want to talk about conflict between people, teams, families, companies, or groups.