Bad actor Meaning in English
expression
Definition
A 'bad actor' is someone, especially in business, politics, or cybersecurity, who behaves dishonestly or causes harm. It can also literally mean an actor who performs poorly, but is more often used to describe a harmful or unethical person.
Usage & Nuances
Common in formal and semi-formal contexts such as news, business, and IT. Usually refers to a person or group causing harm or acting unethically, not just someone with poor acting skills. Beware: literal meaning ('actor who acts badly') is possible but rare.
Example Sentences
The company wants to keep bad actors out of their network.
basic
There are always a few bad actors who try to cheat the system.
basic
The movie was not great because the main bad actor could not act well.
basic
After the scandal, people realized there were a lot of bad actors in the organization.
natural
In cybersecurity, companies are always working to stop bad actors from stealing information.
natural
Not every competitor is a bad actor—some just play hard but fair.
natural