Meaning
Envious, spiteful, and ill-wishing — begrudging other people's success or happiness, and, as a noun, that malice itself. A 'badmind' person cannot bear to see another prosper and secretly wishes them ill, and 'badmind' is one of the most talked-about social ills in Jamaica, blamed for gossip, obeah, and the pulling-down of anyone who rises. A constant theme in dancehall and reggae, where artists defy the 'badmind' who hate on their progress, it names the grudging, poisonous envy felt to do real harm.
Examples
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Badmind people nuh waan see yuh prosper.
Envious people don't want to see you succeed.
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A pure badmind mek dem chat mi.
It's pure spite that makes them gossip about me.
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Nuh badmind yuh bredda success.
Don't begrudge your brother's success.
Origin
A compound of 'bad' and 'mind' — literally an ill-intentioned mind — built on the Jamaican pattern of joining words to name a quality.
How it’s used
Works as adjective, noun and verb. Central to Jamaican social life: to accuse someone of 'badmind' is a serious charge of envy and malice.