bad take
/bæd teɪk/
Very CommonAn opinion that is wrong, poorly reasoned, or just embarrassingly off-base.
Different from a hot take. A hot take can be right. A bad take is just wrong or dumb. Sometimes used affectionately when someone's opinion is absurd but harmless.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | This is a bad take. You clearly didn't read the article. | The opinion is wrong because it's based on incomplete information. | x, 2024 |
| 02 | Bad take of the day award goes to this guy. | Singling out one especially poor opinion from the day's discourse. | x, 2023 |
| 03 | Bro had the worst bad take and doubled down when everyone called him out. | The person was wrong and refused to admit it even with pushback. | reddit, 2024 |
| 04 | Your bad takes are legendary at this point. | The person has a reputation for consistently wrong opinions. | x, 2024 |
Use it when
- Someone shares an opinion that is clearly factually wrong.
- Someone's argument falls apart under basic scrutiny.
- Someone's opinion shows they missed the point entirely.
- You want to dismiss an argument quickly without engaging in detail.
Do not use it when
- The opinion is just unpopular, not actually wrong.Use “hot-take” instead.
- You disagree but cannot say why.
Bad take vs hot take
bad take
Bad take is wrong or poorly reasoned.
VS
hot-take
Hot take is bold and might be unpopular, but it can still be correct.
Origin and context
Grew out of sports media and political commentary culture online. Became widely used on Twitter/X as a quick way to dismiss opinions.
- First seen
- mid-2010s
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/bad-takeUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0