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Explaining “Bad news travels fast”
Anwar Kareem 04/10/2024, 18:18English.me team member
What does it mean?
The phrase means that people tend to spread negative news quickly, often more so than positive news.
Tone
Cautionary
Origin
The phrase is a proverbial expression, with variations found in multiple languages throughout history, indicating a long-standing observation about human behavior.
Examples of usage
- As soon as the factory announced its closure, everyone in town knew within the hour—bad news travels fast.
- She tried to keep the breakup private, but of course, bad news travels fast, and soon everyone was talking about it.
- Despite the company's efforts to hide the mistake, bad news travels fast, and their stock prices dropped as a result.
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