bad form

Meaning

1. 1noununcountableold-fashioned

   Behavior that breaks accepted manners or social customs.

   Grammar: Uncountable: it is bad form to arrive late, not a bad form.

   Patterns

   • it is bad form to do something

   It is bad form to check your phone during dinner.

   Arriving empty-handed to a party is considered bad form.

   He thought it bad form to speak ill of a colleague.

Common combinations

considered bad form

Interrupting is considered bad form.

is bad form

It is bad form to gloat.

seem like bad form

Leaving early would seem like bad form.

bad form to

It is bad form to ignore an invitation.

Synonyms and how they differ

poor manners

Poor manners is plain, whereas bad form is polite and slightly dated.

impolite

Impolite is a general adjective, while bad form is a noun phrase used about actions.

unsporting

Unsporting is about unfair play in games, narrower than bad form.

rude

Rude is stronger and more direct than bad form.

Opposites

Word family

form noun

accepted behavior

good form noun

correct and polite behavior

formal adjective

following social rules

Commonly confused: bad form or bad shape?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “bad form”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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