poor / queasy
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poor
Colloquial for bad, meager, or unsatisfactory. It often describes a situation, a result, or the general state of affairs.
Die Geschäftslage ist in diesem Quartal ziemlich mau.
Business conditions are pretty poor this quarter.
The word 'mau' (poor/queasy) is clearly colloquial. In formal or written contexts, such as an official report, you would tend to avoid it.
Die Party war ziemlich mau, deshalb bin ich früh gegangen.
The party was pretty poor, so I left early.
'Mau' is almost always used predicatively, meaning it comes after the noun it describes and is connected with a verb like 'sein' (to be) or 'aussehen' (to look). Using it directly before a noun, e.g. 'ein maues Gefühl' (a queasy feeling), is very rare.
Die Ernte dieses Jahr sieht leider mau aus.
The harvest this year unfortunately looks poor.
To express physical discomfort, the impersonal construction with the dative is often used: 'Mir ist mau.' (I feel queasy.) This follows the same pattern as 'Mir ist schlecht' (I feel sick) or 'Mir ist kalt' (I am cold).
Nach der langen Busfahrt war mir etwas mau im Magen.
After the long bus ride, my stomach felt a bit queasy.
good
'gut' and 'mau' are often opposites, but 'mau' is more colloquial and not as strong as 'very bad'. 'gut' describes a positive result, a good situation, or feeling well. 'mau' says that something is poor, disappointing, or unsatisfactory. You can also say that you feel 'mau', meaning weak or slightly unwell. For formal texts, 'mau' is usually too casual, but in conversation it sounds natural.
Wegen der hohen Miete ist die Stimmung bei Herrn Lange gerade mau.
Because of the high rent, Mr. Lange's mood is pretty low right now.
Vor dem Termin erklärt die Ärztin alles gut.
Before the appointment, the doctor explains everything well.