From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbad formbad formBritish English old-fashionedBAD BEHAVIOUR OR ACTIONS socially unacceptable behaviour It’s bad form to argue with the umpire. → bad
Examples from the Corpus
bad form• The most terrible bad form. 5.• Tainting the courts with politics is very bad form, but apparently irresistible.• They need an exorcist to figure out what in the devil possessed them to return to their worst form from last season.• Like the institutionalized human being, it faces the problem of leisure in its worst form: it has nothing to do.• Wilful impediment of the sacred moves was not only ill-mannered, but the worst form of blasphemy.• He asked Billy what he thought the worst form of execution was.• We all now agree with Churchill's adage: democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.• Self-interest was the worst sin and slaveholding was the worst form of self-interest.• It's bad form to say "I told you so" when a friend ignores your advice and makes a fool of himself.bad formbad formold-fashionedBAD BEHAVIOUR OR ACTIONS behaviour that is considered to be socially unacceptable SYN bad manners It used to be considered bad form to talk about money. → formExamples from the Corpus
bad form• The most terrible bad form. 5.• Wilful impediment of the sacred moves was not only ill-mannered, but the worst form of blasphemy.• We all now agree with Churchill's adage: democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.• He asked Billy what he thought the worst form of execution was.• Self-interest was the worst sin and slaveholding was the worst form of self-interest.• They need an exorcist to figure out what in the devil possessed them to return to their worst form from last season.• Tainting the courts with politics is very bad form, but apparently irresistible. 