VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

not good

phrase·Everydayinformal

Last updated

UK/nɒt ˈɡʊd/
US/nɑːt ˈɡʊd/

Meanings

  1. phrasefixed phraseinformal

    Poor, unsatisfactory, or bad; often a mild way of saying something is seriously wrong.

    Grammar: Used after a verb or alone as a reaction: That's not good.

    Patterns

    • be not good
    • That's not good

    The test results are not good, so we need a new plan.

    If the brakes are making that noise, it's not good.

    The weather forecast is not good for the weekend.

  2. phrasefixed phraseinformal

    Unwell, upset, or in a poor condition, used about a person.

    Grammar: Often used with feel or look: I'm feeling not good today is less natural than I don't feel good.

    Patterns

    • not feel good
    • not look good

    She looks not good at all; maybe she should see a doctor.

    He said he was not good after the long flight.

  3. phrasefixed phrase

    Not skilled or not suitable for a particular purpose; often followed by at or for.

    Grammar: Often with at, for, or with: not good at math.

    Patterns

    • not good at something
    • not good for someone

    I'm not good at remembering names.

    Sugary drinks are not good for your teeth.

    The old laptop is not good enough for video editing.

Common combinations

not good enough
This draft is not good enough to send yet.
not good at
He's not good at saving money.
not good for
Late nights are not good for your health.
look not good
Those clouds look not good for our picnic.
That's not good.
The battery is at two percent, which is not good.

Synonyms and how they differ

bad
Bad is the plain, direct word, while not good is often a gentler or understated way of saying the same.
poor
Poor suggests low quality, while not good can also express worry about a situation.
unsatisfactory
Unsatisfactory is formal and used in reports, whereas not good is conversational.
worrying
Worrying focuses on the concern the situation causes, which not good hints at but does not state.

Opposites

goodfine

Word family

good adjective
of high quality or suitable
goodness noun
the quality of being good
no good phrase
useless or worthless

Commonly confused: not good or no good? not good or not well?

not good vs no good

No good means useless, and is stronger than not good, which can be mild.

not good vs not well

Not well is used for health; not good is wider and informal.

Practice

The mechanic frowned at the engine and said, "This doesn't look ___." What is the best word to complete it?

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “not good”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words