he is gone to the bad
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Has become a ruined man, or a depraved character. He is mixing with bad companions, has acquired bad habits, or is (usually implying "through his own fault") in bad circumstances.
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 “he is gone to the bad” mean?
Has become a ruined man, or a depraved character. He is mixing with bad companions, has acquired bad habits, or is (usually implying "through his own fault") in bad circumstances.
Is “he is gone to the bad” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.