big and bad

English

Adjective

big and bad (not comparable)

1. (informal, slang, somewhat derogatory) Highly showy or impressive.
   • 1855, Daniel Parken, Edwin Paxton Hood, et. al. (editors), The Eclectic Review, page 643:

     The word 'aquarium' will never, we hope, be added to the masses of the big and bad, dark and dead words which disgrace the literature of the natural sciences.

   • 1868, Richard Richards, Miscellaneous Poems and Pen-and-ink Sketches, page 227:

     But I don't think she can beat the Yankees in using big and bad words; but I really wish she would go over there and try---she would find her match there, I fancy!

   • 1904, University of California, Berkeley, McClure's Magazine - Volume 23, page 579:

     They hope their courts will uphold the decision of the National Republican Party, that they, who represent all that is big and bad in business and politics, are the regular "Republicans."

   • 1920, New York Public Library, American Review of Shoes and Leather - Volumes 35-38, page 15:

     "One big corporation of all the shoe manufacturers is coming, but it will not be like the old-time trusts which were big and bad.

   • 1945, New Zealand Parliament, Parliamentary Debates - Volume 265, page 533:

     ... and they could only expect us to shear away some of the wool, so that the people could see that the big bad wolf was was as big and bad as ever.

   • 1960, Briton Hadden, Henry Robinson Luce (editors), Time - Volume 76, page 50:

     In the second game, the Yankees turned as big and bad as ever.

   • 1973, George Johnston (editor), The Saga of Gisli the Outlaw, page 24:

     'Big and bad deeds follow one another closely,' says Gisli.

   • 1983, Association of the United States Army (contributor), Army, Volume 34, page 6:

     Support personnel serve with just as much pride and esprit de corps, and without their technical expertise the fighting soldier would not be so big and bad.

   • 1997, Lisa A. Uyehara, et. al. (editors), Trauma and Memory - Clinical and Legal Controversies, page 372:

     Now you weren't so overwhelmed and frightened because you were big and bad too.

   • 2005, Leslie LaFoy, Grin and Bear It, page 287:

     "Define big and bad", Stacy said, tiptoeing toward the corner of her living room. "Big and bad is that snake," Rose answered.

   • 2007, S.L. Miller, The Story Digest:

     So, I ask you, are these people so big and bad that you can't stand up to them?

   • 2018, Lisa Osgard, Kawallawallapoopoo - The Courage to Believe:

     I thought you were all big and bad ... you know, twelve-hundred pounds of solid muscle!

   • 2020, Valerie Estelle Frankel, Wonder Women and Bad Girls - Superheroine and Supervillainess Archetypes in Popular Media, page 200:

     To transform yourself into a true supervillain, you need to get some goals that are big and bad.