Learn English – What’s the meaning of ‘it was no good’

meaning

Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters…
Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. "Er – Petunia, dear – you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"
(Harry Potter)

I can’t find the meaning but "it was no good" seems to mean "there's no choice but to do something." What is the real meaning and from where does it come from?

Best Answer

It’s no good by itself means, approximately, “This is a bad situation and something must be done.”

It derives, however, from a longer expression, It’s no good Xing …, where Xing is a gerund phrase:

  • It’s no good trying to cover the matter up.
  • It’s no good pretending we don’t notice.
  • It’s no good crying over spilt milk.

A variant of the expression is It’s no use Xing, and either version means “Xing will not make the situation better.”

Observe that “It was no good” is followed immediately by “He’d have to say something to her”. Mr. Dursley is telling himself that the situation has gotten out of hand and consequently he and his wife must end their long practice of not mentioning her sister’s family, because that practice is “no good”: of no use.

Related Topic