go bad

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Explanation of "Go Bad"

Definition: The phrase "go bad" means that something becomes unfit for use or consumption. This is often used to describe food that has spoiled and is no longer safe to eat. It can also refer to objects or machines that stop working or functioning properly.

Usage Instructions

1. When to Use: You can use "go bad" when talking about food that has spoiled or when a machine or device stops working.
2. Form: It is a phrasal verb, which means it consists of a verb ("go") and a preposition ("bad").

Examples

1. Food:

   • "The milk went bad after being in the fridge for two weeks."
   • "Make sure to eat the fruit before it goes bad."

2. Machines/Devices:

   • "My car went bad, and I had to call for a tow truck."
   • "The coffee maker went bad, so I need to buy a new one."

Advanced Usage

In more advanced contexts, "go bad" can also imply a decline in moral or ethical behavior, such as: - "After the scandal, his reputation went bad, and people no longer trusted him."

Word Variants

• "Bad" can be replaced with other adjectives to describe different types of failures:
  • "Go sour": Often used for dairy or fermented products.
  • "Go wrong": Used to describe situations that do not turn out as planned.

Different Meanings

1. Food Spoilage: The most common meaning, referring to something that is no longer safe to eat.
2. Malfunction: Referring to machines or devices that stop working.

Synonyms

• For food: Spoil, rot, decay.
• For machines: Break down, fail, malfunction.

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

• "Go south": This idiom means that something is worsening or failing, similar to "go bad."
• "Go downhill": This also indicates a decline, whether in quality or condition.

Academic

Verb

1. become unfit for consumption or use
   • the meat must be eaten before it spoils
2. stop operating or functioning
   • The engine finally went
   • The car died on the road
   • The bus we travelled in broke down on the way to town
   • The coffee maker broke
   • The engine failed on the way to town
   • her eyesight went after the accident

Synonyms

• spoil
• fail
• give way
• die
• give out
• conk out
• go
• break
• break down