bad hair day

The phrase "bad hair day" is often used humorously to describe a day when everything seems to go wrong, originating from the literal experience of having unmanageable hair.

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Definition

B2Everyday Life

(informal, idiomatic)A day when everything seems to go wrong or one feels particularly unlucky.

Example

  • I missed the bus, spilled coffee on my shirt, and forgot my keys—it's definitely a bad hair day.

B2Personal Appearance

(informal, literal)A day when one's hair is unmanageable and looks unattractive.

Example

  • No matter what I did, my hair just wouldn't cooperate. It was a real bad hair day.

Similar

Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "bad hair day":

hair grasshair spacehair piebaby hair