good riddance

Meaning

1. 1interjectionfixed phraseinformal

   Said when you are glad that someone or something unwelcome has gone.

   Grammar: Used alone or after an expression; often followed by to: good riddance to bad rubbish.

   Patterns

   • good riddance to someone
   • good riddance to bad rubbish

   The noisy neighbors finally left; good riddance!

   Good riddance to that old sofa; it took up too much room.

   He quit the club, and honestly, good riddance.

Common combinations

good riddance to bad rubbish

Good riddance to bad rubbish, said the landlord about the old tenants.

good riddance to

Good riddance to the winter.

say good riddance

We said good riddance to the old boiler.

a good riddance

The merger was a good riddance for staff.

and good riddance

She left, and good riddance.

Synonyms and how they differ

thank goodness

Thank goodness expresses relief about anything, but good riddance is only about something leaving.

so long

So long is a friendly goodbye without the relief or hostility.

don't let the door hit you

This phrase is more openly rude and sarcastic than good riddance.

Opposites

Word family

rid verb

to free from something unwanted

riddance noun

the act of getting rid of something

get rid of phrase

to throw away or remove

Commonly confused: good riddance or good bye?

Practice

Make it your own

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

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