some say "not bad" means "very good"........and some say "not bad" means "average".....which one is correct
2006-08-13 23:30:16 · 10 answers · asked by chakravarthy a 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
"not bad" is used in two different ways
1) as many others have already said, "not bad" can be used in everyday speech to say that something is neither particularly good or bad, but passable.
2) "not X" is a common rhetorical device called "litotes", in which the negative is used as a form of understatement, to EMPHASIZE the exact opposite
Compare "that was no small feat!" which means "that was a very GREAT feat!"
You can usually tell which is meant by the context, sometimes just by the way the words are emphasized (usually in English either the "not" or "bad" etc. is strongly emphasized in a litotes), sometimes by additional words. Thus, "not bad, not bad at all!" may be used to make clear that this is understatement/litotes.
2006-08-14 00:31:02 · answer #1 · answered by bruhaha 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means it's OK, it's average, nothing special. But it really depends on the intonation in the voice. If said with enthusiasm then it can mean good or very good. If said with a shrug it can signal that the speaker is slightly embarrassed and doesn't want to say it's bad but a best it's only average. So the way it's said is very important.
2006-08-13 23:37:39 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It may depend on how they say it. Not baaaaaaad might mean pretty darn good. But in my experience, the expression is simply pronounced not bad, maybe with a shrug of the shoulders, and means average, soso, mediocre, acceptable.
2006-08-14 07:15:52 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the inflection. It usually means average, or okay, but it can also mean very good.
2006-08-13 23:37:47 · answer #4 · answered by sueflower 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
To me it's meaning is more along the lines of "average."
2006-08-13 23:32:41 · answer #5 · answered by DizzyG 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The opposite of 'bad' is 'good'. And so, 'not bad' is 'good', which is also means 'average'.
2006-08-13 23:34:17 · answer #6 · answered by natrinuretic 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To me "not bad" sounds as "fair', but it depends on the intonation in which it is said. If the intonation is very optimistic, it could sound like "good!" or "surprisingly good!".
2006-08-13 23:37:44 · answer #7 · answered by Joanna 2533 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not bad means to me... okay..
when you use this term you tell that it is okay with you. not bad and average both can be meant.
2006-08-14 00:26:48 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Neither very good nor very bad; passable
it's like so-so... or cosi-cosi
2006-08-14 00:02:19 · answer #9 · answered by ? 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
nt bad is average ..and good is..... good
2006-08-13 23:36:54 · answer #10 · answered by J Q 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋