What Does "Down Bad" Mean?

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Explaining "down bad" in love, on social media, and in other contexts

Co-authored by Luke Smith, MFA Reviewed by Candace Gasper

Last Updated: December 20, 2023 Fact Checked

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Definition of “Down Bad”

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Using “Down Bad”

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Origin & Spread

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Similar Words

You’ve seen the phrase all over the internet, with people calling each other “down bad” or lamenting how “down bad” they are themselves. It’s a popular bit of slang that essentially means “desperate for sex,” but there’s a little more to it than that. We’ll give you the full definition and show you how to use the phrase, plus teach you related words to fill out your online lexicon.

Things You Should Know

“Down bad” most often means “desperate for sex” or that someone is acting strange because of their unchecked desires.
“Down bad” can also simply mean that someone has intense infatuation or unrequited love, without the sexual connotation.
“Down bad” originally meant that someone was feeling depressed or beaten down, and sometimes refers to an injury or illness.

Section 1 of 4:

Definition of “Down Bad”

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“Down bad” most often means that someone is desperate for sex. When you see someone on Twitter say they’re “down bad,” it usually means they’re going through a serious drought of the birds-and-bees business, a lack of lovin’, a dearth of doin’ it—they haven’t had sex in a while, we mean, and things are getting desperate.^{[1]
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Research source} So desperate, in fact, that it makes them act strangely or irrationally.
- Examples: “We have to find you a partner, dude. You’re seriously down bad.”
- “I can tell she’s down bad because she keeps flirting with everyone.”
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“Down bad” sometimes refers to someone’s strong desire. “Down bad” isn’t always sexual. Sometimes it’s simply used to express how totally, hopelessly, head-first-in-love someone is, like when talking about an intense crush. Often, however, that crush is unrequited, which causes some serious love pangs or mopey behavior.
- Examples: “Carl is down bad for Catherine, but she keeps rejecting him.”
- “Mary only came to Janice’s party because she’s down bad for her.”
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“Down bad” can also mean depressed, despondent, or injured. Sometimes, “down bad” is used just to mean that someone is feeling beaten down, low, or like life isn’t going their way. Or, it may be used to say that someone’s been injured in a way that stops them from participating, especially in professional sports.
- Examples: “I keep trying to get her to come out of her room but she’s down bad and won’t talk to anyone.”
- “Mary’s been down bad ever since her boyfriend broke up with her.”
- “Their star player is down bad after tearing his ACL.”

Section 2 of 4:

Using “Down Bad”

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Use “down bad” to poke fun at someone’s desperate behavior. Is your friend a little too quick to ask for someone’s number? Or maybe they’re always distracted on their phone, swiping the dating apps and looking for a hookup. You might say they’re “down bad” to point out how their lack of sex is making them act a bit unlike themselves. Of course, be careful poking at someone who’s already agitated.
- Examples: “Would you stop making eyes at every guy we see? It’s so obvious you’re down bad.”
- “Sorry I’m acting so weird, I’m just down bad.”
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Use “down bad” to express feelings of intense longing. Crushing hard on someone just out of reach? Is a certain celebrity making you hear wedding bells, even when you know it’ll never happen? Or maybe you’re just pining after affection, it doesn’t matter from who. Use “down bad” to describe those achy feelings in your chest that keep you up at night.
- Examples: “I’m so down bad I need to smooch someone, I don’t care who.”
- “He’s down bad for Sigourney Weaver, even though she wouldn’t give him the time of day.
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Say “down bad” to show that someone is feeling low or debilitated. More generally, use “down bad” to describe someone who’s down in the dumps, so much so that they can’t hang out, or they’re not their usual self.^{[2]
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Research source} This also applies to someone who’s injured to the point where they can’t participate, particularly in sports.
- Examples: “Sorry I can’t make it to the party, I’m just down bad.”
- “I can’t believe the pitcher is down bad, we can’t win without him.”

Section 3 of 4:

Origin and Spread of “Down Bad”

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Down bad originated sometime around 2009. Usage of “down bad” can be traced back to tweets made in at least 2009, but back then it wasn’t about someone’s lack of sex. Rather, the original meaning was simply “depressed” or “low.” Around then, rappers like Young Scooter and Lil B included the term in their songs, giving “down bad” the start of its popularity. It wasn’t until later that “down bad” earned its sexual connotation.^{[3]
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Research source}
- In 2019, the song “Down Bad” by Dreamville ft. J.I.D, Bas, J. Cole, and Nudy revitalized the term’s popularity.
As far as anyone can tell, the first usage of “down bad” to mean “desperately in need of sex” came from a (very explicit) tweet in 2017, where one user posted the sentence, “Hoe you down bad and you crazy.” The tweet gathered 12,000 likes and, since then, the sexual connotation has been the predominant meaning of the phrase.^{[4]
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Section 4 of 4:

Similar Words

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Down abominable This means the same as “down bad,” but is a cheeky twist on the phrase used for emphasis when someone is especially down bad. Social media users often put similar spins on “down bad,” like, “down atrocious,” or, “down horrendous.”^{[5]
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- Example: “He’s so desperate he’s beyond down bad—he’s down abominable.”
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Horny on main To be “horny on main” means to post or display your sexual desire on your primary social media account, rather than posting those feelings to a private account.^{[6]
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Research source} More generally, it refers to someone who’s so down bad that they don’t even bother to hide it.
- Example: “I wish Kevin would make an alt account and stop being so horny on main. I have to see his posts when I browse Twitter at work.”
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Gooning “Gooning” is a fairly recent (and wildly crass) term that describes a person who gives themselves sexual stimulation but denies themselves climax.^{[7]
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Research source} It’s often said about people who are down bad, implying that they’re so desperate as to become obsessed or perverted. In this case, these people are often called “goons.”
- Example: “This guy’s so down bad he can’t stop gooning.”