breaking bad news
Sharing painful information
Breaking bad news is delivering unwelcome information to someone—a diagnosis, a death, a layoff, a rejection.
The phrase often appears in professional contexts where the task falls to doctors, managers, or officials: There's no easy way of breaking bad news.
The emphasis falls on the difficulty for the bearer, not just the recipient.
- difficultRequiring much effort
- devastatingCausing severe damage
- heartbreakingCausing intense emotional anguish
- sympathyCompassionate understanding of others
- tearsViolent pulls apart
we need to talk · tissue box · doctor · diagnosis · terminal · condolences · sorry · loss · grief · tragedy · heavy heart · phone call · sitting down · face to face · gentle · somber · silence · shock
- clinical interviewspsychiatric evaluation, psychiatric history, clinical assessment, mental health assessment, patient history
- healthcaredoctors, nurses, hospitals, hospital, clinic
- bedside mannerbedside manner, compassionate care, patient comfort, rapport, reassurance