bad things come in threes
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
If one unfortunate event has already occurred, a second and third are likely to occur; if two, a third should be expected.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Nếu đã xảy ra một sự kiện bất lợi, hai sự kiện tiếp theo có thể xảy ra
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “bad things come in threes” mean?
If one unfortunate event has already occurred, a second and third are likely to occur; if two, a third should be expected.
Is “bad things come in threes” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.