so far so bad
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Up to this point, everything has gone badly.
Register: humorous
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
Still farther to darken the prospects of the North, there is the financial pressure,-extreme alarming, and continually growing more burdensome and severe.
So far, so bad; but there are important items to be taken into account on the other side.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “so far so bad” mean?
Up to this point, everything has gone badly.
Is “so far so bad” formal or informal?
so far so bad is generally humorous.