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We may not always have great days. Yesterday, I had a bad day that I’ll share today. And like me, you may also have bad days at home, school, or work that you want to share with someone close to you. How would you describe that? No worries! In this post, we will explore some words, phrases, and expressions that you can use to describe a bad day to your friends, family members, colleagues, or someone else.
There are different words or phrases, such as a terrible day, a horrible day, an awful day, a tough day, a hard day, a crappy day, etc., that you can use to describe a bad day at home or school or work. Moreover, you are expected to show the reasons why you think you had a bad day or share the incidents that made your day bad.
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Here I have shared some expressions that you can use to describe a bad day to someone in English. Remember! While using the following expressions, you should show the reasons why you think it’s a bad day. You can also share incidents to describe why it’s a bad day. To learn the ways of using these expressions based on situations, keep reading the post till the end.
Expressions to Describe a Bad Day in English
| I’m having We’re having They’re having | a bad day a terrible day a horrible day an awful day a tough day a hard day a crappy day the worst day an unlucky day a difficult day a problematic day a stressful day | today. |
| I’m He is They’re James is | feeling down just feeling down a little bit down | today. |
| I’ll have I may have They may have We may have | a bad day a terrible day a horrible day an awful day a tough day a hard day a crappy day the worst day an unlucky day a difficult day a problematic day a stressful day | today. tomorrow. this weekend. next Sunday. |
| I had We had They had Ricky had It was | a bad day a terrible day a horrible day an awful day a tough day a hard day a crappy day the worst day an unlucky day a difficult day a problematic day a stressful day | today. yesterday. last Tuesday. last weekend. |
Note: The phrase “ a crappy day” is considered slang. Use them only in informal situations.
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Here is one of my recent bad days. It was a complete mess at home and work. You can share one of yours in the comment box.
I had a horrible day last Wednesday. I got up from bed in the morning 30 minutes late since there was no alarm as my phone was switched off because I forgot to put my cellphone on charge before going to bed. While taking a shower, I found the guiser not functioning, which was awful in that freezing weather. I got ready hurriedly and left for the office without having breakfast to catch the bus. Alas! I missed it and had to hire a taxi.
Reaching the office, I realized I had forgotten to bring the laptop. I had a client meeting and had to present a project proposal. I felt so stressed, so I ordered a black coffee to release the stress. My goodness! I got no clue how on earth I spilled the coffee on my shirt, and it was a complete mess. My boss was very disappointed in me listening to everything, and I came back home immediately with utmost frustration. I couldn’t think about any day worse than this.
Now let me share some specific examples that describe bad days in different settings—home, school, work.
Describing a Bad Day at Home: Example Sentences
- I’m having a bad day today because my brother is down with a fever.
- I’m having a bad day since my sister is flying abroad this afternoon.
- I had a bad day last weekend. I had to clean all the mess all by myself.
- I have to pay the electricity bill today, but I am broke. I’m having a bad day.
- I’ll have a bad day tomorrow. I have to cook for everybody all by myself.
Note: When relevant and appropriate, you can replace the phrase “a bad day” with the phrases mentioned in this table.
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Describing a Bad Day at School: Example Sentences
- I’m having a bad day because I’m nervous about the exam.
- I can’t stop thinking about the assignment submission tomorrow. I’m having a bad day.
- Students are making too much noise today. I’m having a bad day.
- I’ll have a bad day tomorrow. I have to submit two pending term papers.
- I had a bad day last Thursday. My grade appeared very poor.
Note: When relevant and appropriate, you can replace the phrase “a bad day” with the phrases mentioned in this table.
Describing a Bad Day at Work: Example Sentences
- I’m having a bad day because of the new schedule.
- I have to process a ton of orders before lunch. I’m having a bad day.
- I’m very much worried about today’s deal. I’m having a bad day.
- The boss was not happy with the design at all. I had a bad day yesterday.
- I’ll have a bad day tomorrow. I have to do overtime to complete the new product design.
Note: When relevant and appropriate, you can replace the phrase “a bad day” with the phrases mentioned in this table.
A Sample Conversation on Describing a Bad Day
The following is a conversation between Eddie and Larry in which they talk about their bad days.
Eddie: How’s it going, Larry? You look upset.
Larry: Don’t ask. Things are hectic. I’m having the worst day of my life today.
Eddie: Why?
Larry: Today, I happily kept the parcels in my van and set off. As I knew the routes like the back of my hand, I expected to finish my deliveries by four.
Eddie: What happened? Didn’t you deliver the parcels correctly?
Larry: The first three deliveries were hassle-free. The problem occurred when my van had a flat tire.
Eddie: Oh, no!
Larry: Obviously, jacking the spare tire killed some precious time. When I attempted to make up the time, the traffic sergeant halted my van and gave me a $10 ticket for speeding up. While showing my papers to the sergeant, I lost my delivery memo and the customers’ addresses with it. So, I called the manager, who told me off badly before sending me the addresses.
Larry: To make things worse, I accidentally dented one of the customer’s parcels. Now, I have to pay the penalty.
Eddie: God! Larry: Yeahh! Now that I’m done with my deliveries, the manager warned me not to leave the office before he had some words with me…. Huh…. told you, I’m seriously having the crappiest day of my life.
Takeaway Words
Hectic (adjective) = full of incessant activity
Set off (phrasal verb) = begin a journey
Flat tire (expression) = when a wheel’s tire leaks or is burst due to being in contact with sharp objects
Speeding up (phrasal verb) = cause someone or something to move or happen more quickly
Dent (verb) = a slight hollow in a hard even surface made by a blow or pressure
Penalty (noun) = a punishment imposed for breaking the law, rule, or contract
Crappy (adjective) = extremely bad or poor quality
In Conclusion
We usually share about a bad day with those who are close to us and care for us. They are family members and friends in most cases. You don’t share your personal feelings with those you don’t know that much.
I believe the expressions and examples regarding describing a bad day I mentioned above will help you do it appropriately.
Thanks for reading.
Happy learning!
