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I am looking for a word that is similar to the meaning of farewell or goodbye except that it has a negative connotation.

I find it hard to choose an appropriate word when I close communications with a person or organization that has affronted me when I really do not wish them to fare well.

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    Voting to close on the grounds that there can be any number of answers ranging from appropriate intonation to "Get lost and don't come back!" or fruitier. Effectively it's an invitation to offer up insults.
    – FumbleFingers
    Jul 17, 2011 at 21:51
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    Hasta La Vista, Baby!
    – Callithumpian
    Jul 17, 2011 at 21:51
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    @Fumble: Except the OP is specifically asking if there is a single word that acts as a counterpart to farewell. I don't think there is, but it is an interesting question.
    – Callithumpian
    Jul 17, 2011 at 22:00
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    @Callithumpian: I recognise your point, but surely any feasible candidate must of necessity be restricted by all manner of context. For example, you might get away with "We must talk again in the next life, if not before" in some contexts, or "Please respect my privacy in future" in others.
    – FumbleFingers
    Jul 17, 2011 at 22:08
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    There's also have a nice life.
    – Cerberus - Reinstate Monica
    Jul 18, 2011 at 2:41

4 Answers 4

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Good riddance.
I'm done with you. (If you are. :-) )

For that matter, if this is in writing, "goodbye" may do what you want. It's pretty rare to close email or a letter that way, so this suggests closure. If you're speaking orally, then as drm65 says you can use tone of voice to convey your dissatisfaction.

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  • I had thought about that in regards to Goodbye for closing letters/emails but wasn't sure since it still has the "good" part.
    – Chris Marisic
    Jul 18, 2011 at 19:48
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It is easy to say "good-bye" as if you meant "good riddance!" Try it!

Good-bye doesn't necessarily mean I wish you well anymore.

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  • Even "I wish you well" said with the right intonation can sound negative.
    – JoseK
    Jul 18, 2011 at 8:34
  • Bad-bye doesn't appear to appear in many dictionaries.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Aug 14, 2012 at 23:59
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    You get nothing! You lose! GOOD DAY, SIR!
    – Mazura
    Feb 24, 2016 at 4:30
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As fumblefingers mentions, the answer to the question is contextual.

Nevertheless, phrases I've used in the past to point out that I am not in favour of whatever misstep the recipient of my missive has allowed themselves:

Disappointed, MSS

Affronted, MSS

Disapprovingly, MSS

Disparagingly, MSS

et ad nauseam...

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    Out of this group of nice choices, I think "Disappointed" would be my choice to use, if only because the others carry a heavier sense of the writer blaming the recepient. Of course this IS the writer's point, but it might hit the recepient harder if they don't have a reason to fire back because they are feeling attacked. They are simply left (hopefully) with the feeling that they are a miserable human being. The rest can really be eloquently described before the golden closing term you are looking for.
    – Rachel
    Jul 18, 2011 at 6:00
  • +1 @Rachel : good point on the "attack" aspect of terms such as "disapprovingly". In the cases I use such language, I usually am aiming to elicit some form of response (does not always work, of course, but often...) "Disappointed" is more fire-and-forget ("I'm done with this"). Again, context is the key...
    – Martin S. Stoller
    Jul 18, 2011 at 6:06
  • What exactly do you mean by MSS? Or is that your initials there?
    – Chris Marisic
    Jul 18, 2011 at 16:36
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    @MSS, I agree 100% - needless to say, I think all of us at one point want to throw out the most fabulous go-to of all, which I bit my tongue not to add to the list because it is hardly ladylike speech: "'F-off' and die you miserable 'POS', I hope you rot in hell - Rachel" :)
    – Rachel
    Jul 18, 2011 at 20:11
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    @MartinS.Stoller I just re-read the question, and realize that your answer was possibly the best. OP asked for the closing of a communication. That definitely implies a missive of some sort, whether IM, email or physical postal mail. Your suggestions are quite appropriate, as OP wants to close communications with a "person or organization", which requires some degree of formality. Up vote, or better yet, +1!
    – Ellie Kesselman
    Feb 6, 2013 at 23:52
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How about "it's over," or "we're done," or "hasta la vista"?

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    Or the most often used term in Britain for this "sod off"
    – Chris
    Aug 15, 2012 at 1:58

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