good riddance
What is the opposite of good riddance? Here is what we hold, with its meaning and related words.
Interjection — Said with relief when someone or something unwanted has finally gone.
How to use good riddance
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
good riddance to bad rubbish
and good riddance
Blunt and unmistakably hostile when applied to a person, so it belongs in speech among friends rather than in professional writing.
Etymology
From riddance, the act of getting rid of something, from the verb rid; the phrase is recorded in English from the sixteenth century.
Full origin of good riddance →Frequently asked questions
Is it rude to say good riddance?
Yes, deliberately so. It tells the listener you are pleased the person or thing has gone, which makes it fine as a joke among friends but insulting if the subject can hear you or is being mourned by others.
Where does the phrase 'good riddance to bad rubbish' come from?
It is an intensified version of good riddance that developed in English speech, with rubbish standing for the unwanted thing being got rid of. The shorter good riddance is the older of the two.
