57. Not as bad as – ‘그렇게 나쁘지는 않다’

Not as bad as – ‘그렇게 나쁘지는 않다’

• 1. 의미
• 2. 기본 예문
• 3. 대화 예문
• 4. 연습 문장
• 5. 응용 및 심화 표현
  • 1) It's not as bad as it sounds
  • 2) It looks much worse than it is
  • 3) 비교 표현
• 6. 고급 사용 맥락 분석
• 7. 연관해서 공부하면 좋은 표현

1. 의미

• 'Not as bad as ~'는 예상이나 외관상보다 실제로는 덜 나쁘다는 의미를 가진다.
• 기대한 것보다 낫다, 혹은 처음 인상보다 실상은 괜찮다는 느낌을 전달하는 완곡한 표현이다.
• 부정적인 기대, 걱정, 불안 등을 누그러뜨리는 데 자주 쓰이며, 위로, 현실적인 판단, 신중한 긍정의 어조가 담긴다.
• 비교 대상과의 상대적 평가를 통해 완곡하게 긍정하거나 긴장을 완화하는 역할을 한다.

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2. 기본 예문

• I was dreading the presentation, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought.
• The commute’s long, but it’s not as bad as people say.
• It’s a tight schedule, but not as bad as last week.

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3. 대화 예문

A: How’s your new job? I heard the manager’s pretty strict.

B: Yeah, that’s what people said. But he’s not as bad as everyone makes him out to be. He’s just detail-oriented.

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A: I heard your car got hit. That must be a nightmare.

B: It looked terrible at first, but it’s not as bad as it looked. Just a dent in the bumper.

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A: That curry smells intense...

B: Don’t let the smell fool you. It’s not as bad as you think. Actually, it’s kind of sweet.

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4. 연습 문장

• Once you get used to the interface, it’s not as bad as it seems.
• I thought I failed the test, but it wasn’t as bad as I feared.
• The stitches look scary, but it’s not as bad as it looks.
• I had a hard time moving here at first, but life in this city isn’t as bad as I imagined.
• Her tone was harsh, but her message wasn’t as bad as it sounded.

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5. 응용 및 심화 표현

1) It’s not as bad as it sounds

• 겉으로 들리는 말만으로 판단하지 말라는 의미다. 의료 용어, 법률 용어, 또는 과장된 표현을 들었을 때 많이 사용된다.
• You need a root canal? → Yeah, but it’s not as bad as it sounds. It’s just like a longer filling.
• I have to present in front of 200 people. → That sounds intense, but it’s really not as bad as it sounds once you're up there.

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2) It looks much worse than it is

• 외관상은 심각해 보이지만 실제로는 그렇게 심각하지 않다는 의미다.
• I scraped the car on a pole. → It looks much worse than it is. It’s mostly just paint damage.
• Her project looks chaotic, but it looks much worse than it is. Everything’s labeled underneath.

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3) 비교 표현: It’s better than it looks vs. Not as bad as it looks

• It’s better than it looks: 기대 이상으로 좋다는 의미로 더 긍정적인 평가에 가깝다.
• Not as bad as it looks: 나쁠 줄 알았지만 실제로는 덜 나쁘다는 의미로, 심각해 보이나 그렇지 않음을 전달한다.
• That soup? Don’t judge it by its color. It’s better than it looks.
• The injury? Not as bad as it looks. Just a surface bruise.

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6. 고급 사용 맥락 분석

• 'Not as bad as'는 회화뿐 아니라 보고, 리뷰, 진단, 설명, 위로 등 다양한 맥락에서 유용하다.
• 특히 다음과 같은 상황에서 자연스럽게 등장한다:
1. 첫인상과 실제 상황의 괴리
   • The apartment’s hallway smells weird, but it’s not as bad once you get inside.
2. 긴장 완화나 안심
   • I saw your face during the interview. You looked terrified!
   • → Yeah, but it wasn’t as bad as I expected.
3. 과도한 우려에 대한 반박
   • They’re acting like the market’s collapsing.
   • → It’s not as bad as they make it out to be.
4. 경험 후 재평가
   • Honestly, spending the weekend with her family wasn’t as bad as I feared. They were welcoming.

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7. 연관해서 공부하면 좋은 표현

• Not the end of the world: 그렇게 심각한 일이 아니라는 표현.
• Could be worse: 상황을 덜 심각하게 받아들이는 표현.
• It’s manageable: 통제 가능하다는 의미로, not as bad as와 함께 쓰면 현실적인 긍정을 나타낼 수 있다.
• I’ve seen worse: 나쁜 건 맞지만, 더 나쁜 것도 봤다는 뜻으로, 현실적인 위로를 표현할 때 쓴다.
• No big deal: 사소한 일이라는 의미로, 감정적으로 상황을 축소시킬 때 쓰인다.

※영어 표현 목록은 빨모쌤의 라이브 영어회화를 참고하였습니다.

 

 

56. Could use

 

55. Wouldn’t hurt

 

54. Save + <누구> + the trouble