bad prospects

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "bad prospects" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe unfavorable or disappointing future possibilities or outcomes in various contexts, such as business, personal situations, or career opportunities. Example: "The company's financial report revealed bad prospects for growth in the upcoming year."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

Suddenly, Japan's bad prospects are far worse and China's toy-and-electronics-driven growth falls.

The New York Times

All are good prospects for winning Republican primaries, but until you get down maybe to Marco Rubio, pretty bad prospects for national electability.

The New York Times

Would you stop your child from playing with a friend called Charmaine, Chardonnay or Tyler on the basis that their name reflects a lower class and bad prospects?

Independent

But that would have much the same effect as charging people with bad prospects higher premiums.Ultimately, governments will probably need to provide a safety net of some kind for those at high risk.

The Economist

Basically, adverse selection is the reason you shouldn't buy insurance from companies that say "no medical exam necessary": when insurance is sold to good and bad prospects at the same price, the bad risks drive out the good.

The New York Times

"It may be that the system was not well designed to find the best prospects and to fund them, or that they funded some prospects that they should have known before the fact were bad prospects," he said, pointing to the example of Solyndra.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

This is not a bad prospect for the new Government.

Independent

This does not sound a bad prospect: but we should not deny that it may produce outcomes describable as unfair.

The Guardian - Opinion

After learning that Ms. Brown and Mr. Moss both subscribed to the policy of telling a bad prospect it wouldn't work out, rather than stringing the person along, Mrs. Brachfeld decided they would make a perfect blind-date couple.

The New York Times - Style

They're not going to talk you out of it, even if you are a bad prospect".

Vice

Not a bad prospect, condering how appealing the Eagle Rock restaurant is — part garage band garage, part your favorite aunt's kitchen. .

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing business ventures or investments, use "bad prospects" to clearly communicate a high risk of failure or low return.

Common error

Avoid using "bad prospects" in situations where a more nuanced or less severe term would be more appropriate. Reserve it for situations where the outlook is genuinely and significantly negative.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "bad prospects" functions as a noun phrase, where "bad" modifies the noun "prospects". As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically correct. It serves to describe the state of future possibilities.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Wiki

8%

Formal & Business

4%

Less common in

Science

1%

Reference

1%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "bad prospects" effectively communicates a negative outlook regarding future possibilities. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability. While alternatives like "unfavorable outlook" or "bleak future" exist, "bad prospects" provides a direct and clear assessment, particularly useful in business and news contexts. However, reserve this phrase for situations genuinely warranting such a pessimistic view to avoid overdramatization.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unfavorable outlook

Replaces "prospects" with "outlook", emphasizing a general view of the future instead of specific possibilities.

poor future

Uses simpler terms to convey a negative future situation.

bleak outlook

Substitutes "bad" with "bleak", adding a stronger sense of pessimism.

grim prospects

Replaces "bad" with "grim", highlighting the severity of the unfavorable possibilities.

dismal outlook

Uses "dismal" instead of "bad" to further emphasize a depressing or discouraging future.

unpromising future

Emphasizes the lack of potential or promise in the future situation.

dire predictions

Focuses on the predictions themselves being negative and serious.

unfortunate possibilities

Shifts the focus to potential outcomes that are regrettable.

challenging circumstances

Downplays the negativity by focusing on the difficulties presented.

troubled times ahead

Indicates a difficult period in the future without specifically detailing the causes or nature of the problems.

FAQs

What does "bad prospects" mean?

The phrase "bad prospects" refers to a situation or outlook where the chances of success or a positive outcome are low or unfavorable.

What are some synonyms for "bad prospects"?

Alternatives to "bad prospects" include "unfavorable outlook", "bleak future", or "grim prospects".

How can I use "bad prospects" in a sentence?

You can use "bad prospects" to describe various situations. For example, "The company faces bad prospects due to declining sales" or "His bad prospects for employment led him to consider retraining."

Is it better to say "poor prospects" or "bad prospects"?

Both "poor prospects" and "bad prospects" are acceptable, but "bad prospects" might suggest a more severely negative outlook than "poor prospects".