What does Down Bad Mean? The Internet’s New Slang

By: Enjeela Shakeel

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The internet is full of phrases and slangs. Every other day, new slang is introduced everywhere on it and social media platforms. The users use it in full swing. A new phrase has entered its lexicon lately.

DOWN BAD

Down bad is being used for men who are excessively thirsty on Twitter and other social media platforms. It has seen more and more users over the past few months and continues to do so.

So, what does Down Bad mean? Here’s everything to know.

What is the Meaning of Down Bad?

Down bad is a phrase thrown at men online who do not have any shame in being embarrassingly horny, as evidenced by popular social media platforms, including Twitter and Instagram. A handle @downbadpatrol documents the many instances of dudes being down bad.

There is a definition of this phrase in Urban Dictionary too.

“When someone is depressingly horny.”

This phrase gained immense popularity to label thirsty men creepily commenting on the photos of women or replying to them on the internet very futilely. At the same time, the self-proclamation of this phrase has also become common. Nowadays, many users are poking fun at themselves for being pathetically single and horny and calling themselves down bad.

Where did the Word Originate?

The expression down bad doesn’t have a recent origin. In fact, its origin dates back to the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Down bad began as a way to say that you were not doing good in life. It also expressed some hardship, particularly financial hardship faced by an individual. Gradually, the term expanded in the 2000s, and more people began using it to describe the feelings of being lovesick after their breakup.

But soon, the users changed the whole meaning of the word to use it in a different context. It is considered down bad as feeling horny after a breakup and wanting to see someone. Over time, down bad has also become an internet meme that means someone you like ditched you to be with someone else. Now you do not have a choice but to feel depressed.

There’s a Song on this Phrase

In 2019, Dreamville released a song Down Bad that featured J.I.D, J. Cole, EARTHGANG, and Young Nudy. The number made the phrase all the more popular.

Its chorus features the lyrics, “I was just f**** up, I was just down, down bad/ I had to tighten the f*** up, but I am here for the crown, crown, crown, crown.”

Down Bad is not Essentially Feeling Horny

If we emphasize the actual meaning of this phrase, it means you are at your lowest point. It may be because you have spent your last cash on alcohol rather than food. There could be many reasons why you feel so down bad. It could also be because you are going back to your ex, who once humiliated you.

In another context, this phrase also implies an intense platonic yearning that you may have for someone without a sexual connotation. But currently, users on the internet are sticking to only one meaning of the phrase – “When someone is depressingly horny.”

The Meaning of Down Bad is Still Being Contested

The meaning of down bad is still being contested. One of the prominent figures in the down bad movement, Palmer Ward, runs @downbadpatrol.

Their official handle was suspended by Twitter for an unknown reason. At that time, this handle had over one million followers.

According to Ward, “it was growing at about 100,000 followers a day at one point.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/ChsoB7yJXOx/?hl=en

It mostly posted screenshots of men getting rejected by women or their hopeful romantic interests. When Twitter suspended the account, Ward moved to Instagram to continue his spree of posting screenshots. The handle currently has 102k followers.

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