I found it dreadful

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "I found it dreadful" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when expressing a strong negative opinion or feeling about something you have experienced or encountered. Example: "After watching the movie, I found it dreadful and wouldn't recommend it to anyone."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

Formal & Business

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

The heartless skeleton who had been numbed to the fate of others is once again a sentient specimen of German culture, recording a "curious conflict within me": "I rejoice in God's vengeance on the henchmen of the Third Reich... and yet I find it dreadful now to see the victors and avengers racing through the city, which they have so hellishly wrecked".

The New York Times - Books

It was tedious work but to my surprise I found that it wasn't the dreadful experience our drill instructors made it out to be.

Forbes

I found that something in a dreadful sonnet I had written a year or two previously.

The Guardian - Books

However, years later I found myself in the most dreadful state of mind often leaving me feeling breathless, confused and weak, wondering how I was going to cover the next mortgage payment and the one after that.

Huffington Post

The reaction that makes sense in thinking about the facts of death is not to find it as some great mystery too dreadful to think about, too overwhelming.

Yale University

When a friend showed me this urban75 ​forum thread detailing some of London's lost, dreadful clubs, I found myself through the looking glass of a time before student promoters, SIA licenses, snapback techno, and Funktion-Ones.

Vice

When a friend showed me a forum thread detailing some of London's lost, dreadful clubs, I found myself through the looking glass of a time before student promoters and Uber discount codes.

Vice

But if I find out that the dreadful thing I'd heard about was in fact never said, and that the person had actually been very complimentary about me, what happens to all that fearsomely solid bitterness of the moment before?

HuffPost

In many conversations with people around the country, I have found that the dreadful anti-immigrant rhetoric that dominates talk shows does not represent the views of a majority of Americans, who do not reject immigrants out of hand as a burden.

The New York Times

Maybe it's because the studio movies at this time of year are so universally dreadful, but I find myself drawn to the smaller films that bite and snarl and generally have bad manners: Bad Words, The Raid 2 and, this week, Dom Hemingway.

Huffington Post

Is it another dreadful Tory cutback?

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "I found it dreadful" to express a strong negative personal opinion about a specific experience or observation. It is suitable when you want to clearly communicate your intense dislike or disapproval.

Common error

While "dreadful" effectively conveys strong dislike, avoid overusing it, especially in formal or professional settings. Consider milder alternatives like "disappointing" or "unsatisfactory" to maintain a more balanced tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "I found it dreadful" primarily functions as a statement of personal opinion. It expresses a subjective judgment about something, indicating that the speaker experienced or perceived it as intensely negative. This aligns with Ludwig AI's assessment, confirming its usability for expressing strong disapproval.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

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Less common in

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "I found it dreadful" is a grammatically sound and clear way to express strong disapproval. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's suitable for conveying a negative personal opinion across various contexts. While there aren't specific examples to point to for nuanced usage patterns, the phrase generally carries a neutral register, fitting comfortably in both casual and more formal communications. Remember to consider milder alternatives like "disappointing" in situations where a less intense expression is more appropriate.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

I thought it was awful

Uses 'awful' instead of 'dreadful', indicating a very unpleasant experience or quality.

I considered it terrible

Replaces 'dreadful' with 'terrible', suggesting something extremely bad or serious.

I deemed it appalling

Substitutes 'dreadful' with 'appalling', highlighting the shocking or horrific nature of something.

I regarded it as atrocious

Employs 'atrocious' instead of 'dreadful', emphasizing the extremely wicked or brutal aspect.

I viewed it as horrendous

Replaces 'dreadful' with 'horrendous', stressing the extremely unpleasant or frightful character.

I saw it as ghastly

Uses 'ghastly' instead of 'dreadful', indicating something shockingly repulsive or horrible.

I experienced it as miserable

Substitutes 'dreadful' with 'miserable', focusing on the feeling of great unhappiness or discomfort.

I felt it was wretched

Employs 'wretched' instead of 'dreadful', highlighting the extremely unfortunate or unhappy state.

I perceived it as lamentable

Replaces 'dreadful' with 'lamentable', suggesting something regrettable or unfortunate.

I found it to be abysmal

Substitutes "dreadful" with "abysmal", emphasizing the extremely bad or severe aspect.

FAQs

How can I use "I found it dreadful" in a sentence?

You can use "I found it dreadful" to express a strong negative opinion about something. For example, "After reading the book, "I found it dreadful" and couldn't finish it."

What can I say instead of "I found it dreadful"?

You can use alternatives like "I thought it was awful", "I considered it terrible", or "I deemed it appalling" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "I found it dreadful" or "I found it terribly"?

""I found it dreadful"" is correct. "Terribly" is an adverb and doesn't fit the sentence structure as well as the adjective "dreadful".

What's the difference between "I found it dreadful" and "I found it disappointing"?

""I found it dreadful"" implies a stronger negative reaction than "I found it disappointing". "Dreadful" suggests intense dislike or disapproval, while "disappointing" indicates unmet expectations.