1. in bad or poor condition (physically or emotionally)
Professional
Social
a bad state of mind, he/she was in a bad way/sorry state
If something is in a 'bad way'; a 'bad state'; or a 'bad situation', its condition is not good. It might be an object in need of repair, a situation that needs addressing or a person who is struggling in some way: "The garden is in a bad state. I must clean it up at the weekend." "I saw your brother on the street. He looked like he was in a bad state after the accident." "This is a bad situation but we have a few options at this stage." A 'sorry state' or 'a sorry situation' refers to situations or conditions that are regrettable and possibly could have been avoided: "It's awful to see that house in such a sorry state since Mrs. Hu died." "We are in the sorry situation of having to cancel our contract with you after being let down so many times." We would usually use 'bad' to collocate with these words (way/state/situation) but you might hear 'sorry' used in spoken or written English as a more emotional expression or to emphasise the emotions involved.