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dia mau

[DEE-uh MOW]
noun phrasemasculinepl: dias maus
bad day
1. A day when things go wrong, when one experiences misfortune, difficulties, or negative events
I had a bad day at work; everything went wrong.
Tive um dia mau no trabalho; tudo deu errado.
2. A day when someone feels sad, upset, or in a poor mood
She's having a bad day, so let's give her some space.
Ela está tendo um dia mau, então vamos deixá-la em paz.
NYC Slang
rough day / having a bad one
Synonyms
dia ruimdia difícildia desastrosodia negro
Antonyms
dia bomdia ótimodia maravilhosodia excelente

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
dia mau / dia ruim
Both expressions are commonly used; 'dia ruim' is slightly more frequent in casual speech
São Paulo
dia mau / dia ruim
Standard usage, no regional variation
Rio de Janeiro
dia mau / dia ruim
Standard usage, no regional variation
Portugal
dia mau / dia negro
'Dia negro' is also used in Portugal to emphasize a particularly bad day

Related Idioms & Phrases

ter um dia mau
um dia desses
não é o meu dia
de mal a pior
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