Feel bad for OR about | Learn advanced English grammar

"Feel Bad" is a common expression.

a man feel bad about something


When collocated with "for," it conveys a meaning of commiseration and sympathy. The object after "for" is typically a person.

Example:
He tried hard but lost again. I feel bad for him.

When collocated with "about," it conveys a variety of meanings, mostly related to one's negative feelings toward someone or something.

Example:
He dumped his new girlfriend too. I truly feel bad about him. (Here, the focus is on his actions, not sympathy for him. If you mean sympathy for the girlfriend, you would say, "I feel bad for her.")

Different Meanings of "Feel Bad About"

1.
Negative feelings toward someone for something bad they did to you or someone else.
This phrase often includes the act after "about."

Example:
I feel bad about what he did to his loving girlfriend. He cheated on her.

2.
Expressing regret or remorse for one's own actions.
Here, "about" is used to talk about actions that you feel sorry for.

Example:
Actually, I didn’t want to be so mean to him when he tried to speak. I feel bad about it.

3.
Sympathy or concern for someone, but with a focus on the broader context rather than directly on the person.
While "feel bad for" directly expresses sympathy for the person, "feel bad about" highlights the situation surrounding them.

Example (Scenario: A friend's parent is seriously ill):
I feel really bad about your dad.
This means you feel sympathy for your friend and their family, but it’s slightly less direct than saying, "I feel bad for your dad." The use of "about" expresses your concern and sadness related to the whole situation surrounding their father.

Example:
I feel bad about John. He's been so down lately.
This means you’re worried and concerned about John’s well-being. The use of "about" expresses your unease regarding his emotional state.

4.
Expressing guilt or remorse for your own actions directed at someone else.
Here, "about" links your feelings to your specific behavior.

Example (Scenario: You said something hurtful to a colleague):
"I feel bad about Sarah. I shouldn’t have said that about her presentation."
This means you feel guilty and regretful about your actions toward Sarah.

5.
Disapproval or helplessness regarding someone’s wrong actions.
"Feel bad about" can also express disapproval or pity for someone’s actions, depending on the context.

Example (Scenario: Someone behaved badly):
"I feel bad about him."
This could mean you disapprove of his actions or feel sorry for him because of the circumstances that led to his behavior.
To make the disapproval clear, you could add context:
"I feel bad about what he did."
Or:
"I feel bad that he would do something like that."

6.
General negative feelings toward someone.
"Feel bad about" can also express a general negative impression of someone.

Example:
"I feel bad about him. I just don’t trust him."

Key Takeaways:

"Feel bad for" is used to express direct sympathy or concern for someone.

"Feel bad about" is more versatile and can express regret, disapproval, or concern about a situation or someone’s actions.

The choice between "for" and "about" depends on whether the focus is on the person (use "for") or the context/actions (use "about").

Revised Examples for Clarity:

Sympathy (for):
I feel bad for her; she’s been through so much.

Regret (about):
I feel bad about how I treated him yesterday.

Disapproval (about):
I feel bad about what he did. It was so unfair.

General Concern (about):
I feel bad about the whole situation. It’s really unfortunate.



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