bad news; ill tidings
General term for unfortunate or ominous news. Often contrasted with 吉報 (good news).
Antonyms: 吉報
彼から凶報が届いた。
Bad news arrived from him.
news of a death; death notice
Specifically refers to news that someone has died. More concrete than the general 'bad news' sense.
家族の凶報を聞いて、彼はすぐに帰省した。
Upon hearing the news of his family member's death, he immediately returned home.
good news; glad tidings
Compound of 凶 (bad luck, misfortune) and 報 (report, news). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji combination directly conveys 'ominous report'.