a bad lot
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A person of bad moral character, or one commercially unsound. Also a com- mercial project or stock of worthless value. Perhaps from auctioneering slang, meaning a lot which no one will bid for.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “a bad lot” mean?
A person of bad moral character, or one commercially unsound. Also a com- mercial project or stock of worthless value. Perhaps from auctioneering slang, meaning a lot which no one will bid for.
Is “a bad lot” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.