no good
B2Informal, colloquial. Often used in spoken English and informal writing.
Definition
Meaning
Not useful, competent, or valuable; inadequate or of poor quality.
Used to describe a person, action, or thing that is incompetent, ineffective, worthless, or morally unsound.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Functions as a predicative adjective. It implies a definitive negative judgement and often carries a dismissive or critical tone. Can refer to a person's character or the lack of utility/effectiveness of an object or action.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant grammatical differences. 'No good' is equally common and used identically in both varieties.
Connotations
Slightly stronger connotation of moral failure or delinquency in UK usage (e.g., 'a no-good scoundrel'). In US usage, it can more neutrally mean 'useless'.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in American English, particularly in Southern and informal registers.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[BE] no good[BE] no good at + -ING / NOUN[BE] no good for + NOUN[BE] no good to + PERSONVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It's no good crying over spilt milk.”
- “He's up to no good.”
- “This old car is no good to man nor beast.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Informal feedback: 'This marketing strategy is no good; we need a new approach.'
Academic
Rare in formal writing. May appear in critiques: 'The proposed methodology was found to be no good.'
Everyday
Very common: 'This phone's battery is no good anymore.' or 'I'm no good at baking.'
Technical
Not used in technical descriptions. Prefer precise terms like 'non-functional' or 'ineffective'.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- That lazy sod is completely no good.
- This map is no good for walking the fells.
American English
- He's a no-good cheat.
- This paint is no good in humid weather.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- This pen is no good. It is broken.
- I am no good at football.
- It's no good trying to call him; his phone is off.
- My old shoes are no good for running.
- The manager said the proposal was no good and asked for a complete rewrite.
- She's no good at keeping secrets.
- All his promises proved to be no good when the crisis actually hit.
- Criticising without offering solutions is no good to anyone.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a broken tool. You try to use it, but it does NOT do any GOOD. It's NO GOOD.
Conceptual Metaphor
WORTH IS QUANTITY (zero quantity of goodness). FUNCTIONALITY IS STRUCTURAL SOUNDNESS (a thing with 'no good' is broken/unsound).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating word-for-word as "нет хорошо".
- Do not confuse with "not good", which is a milder, gradable criticism. 'No good' is more absolute.
- In Russian, the closest equivalents in tone are 'никуда не годится', 'бесполезный', or 'ни на что не способный'.
Common Mistakes
- *He is a no good person. (Correct: He is no good. / He's a no-good person.)
- Using it attributively without a hyphen: *a no good idea. (Correct: a no-good idea.)
- Confusing 'It's no good to complain' (complaining is futile) with 'It's not good to complain' (complaining is bad behaviour).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'no good' used CORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is primarily informal and colloquial. In formal writing, use synonyms like 'ineffective', 'unsuitable', or 'futile'.
Yes, but it must be hyphenated as a compound adjective: 'a no-good liar', 'his no-good schemes'.
'Not good' is a simple negative assessment, often gradable (e.g., 'not very good'). 'No good' is more absolute and dismissive, implying uselessness or worthlessness (e.g., 'This is no good' = 'This is useless').
It's more idiomatic to use 'at': 'I am no good at maths.' 'In' is sometimes used but 'at' is the standard preposition for skills.