give bad marks to

give bad marks to (someone or something)

To view something negatively or unfavorably. I bet the boss gave bad marks to Pete's presentation because it was so disorganized.See also: bad, give, mark

give bad marks to

Judge unsatisfactory, as in They gave bad marks to the President's program. This expression transfers the marking used in evaluating schoolwork to other endeavors. [Late 1800s] See also: bad, give, mark