Passably good

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "Passably good" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is acceptable or satisfactory, but not exceptional. Example: "The movie was passably good, providing some entertainment but lacking depth in the storyline."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

13 human-written examples

Mr. Kim, who turned 69 this month, looks to be in passably good health.

The New York Times

Will we ever see tablets break the $50 price barrier (and would they be even passably good)?

MIT Technology Review

Marco Guidarini, in his company debut, gets a passably good but uninspired performance from the Met orchestra.

The New York Times

I've always found it hard to draw people, and yet I am able to produce passably good results thanks to the tips here.

The New York Times - Tech

That an 85-year-old should produce a novel at all was regarded as remarkable; that it should be passably good little short of sensational.

The Guardian - Books

Haddah Street has a kind of restaurant row, with a variety of Italian, Lebanese and Egyptian restaurants, most of which are passably good.

The New York Times - Travel

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

47 human-written examples

The young women are either sullen or slumping, few are even passably good-looking, and really they'd rather go home.

The New York Times

Only JPMorgan Chase did passably well (see chart).

The Economist

Still, the system worked passably well for years.

The New York Times

The shows fared passably well, he said, until focus group moderators revealed the shows were intended for AMC.

The New York Times

Presidents who do both jobs passably well — Reagan and Kennedy, and Obama, too — get many a break from their constituents, and from the history books.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "passably good" to convey a sense of adequacy or acceptability rather than excellence. It's best suited when describing something that meets a minimum requirement or standard, without being particularly impressive.

Common error

Avoid using "passably good" when you intend to describe something of high quality or exceptional merit. The phrase implies adequacy, not superiority.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "passably good" functions as a pre-modifying adjective phrase. It serves to qualify a noun, indicating a level of quality that is acceptable but not outstanding. As Ludwig AI indicates, this is a common way to describe something that meets a certain minimum standard.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Academia

12%

Wiki

8%

Less common in

Science

2%

Formal & Business

2%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "passably good" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression that describes something of acceptable but not exceptional quality. As Ludwig AI confirms, it follows standard English grammar. It frequently appears in news and media contexts, indicating a neutral to slightly positive assessment. Alternatives such as "adequately good" or "sufficiently good" can be used to convey a similar meaning. When using this phrase, remember that it denotes adequacy rather than excellence.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Adequately good

Replaces "passably" with "adequately", suggesting a similar level of sufficiency.

Sufficiently good

Substitutes "passably" with "sufficiently", implying just enough quality to meet requirements.

Acceptably good

Replaces "passably" with "acceptably", emphasizing that the quality meets a minimum standard.

Reasonably good

Uses "reasonably" instead of "passably", indicating a moderate level of goodness.

Fairly good

Employs "fairly" in place of "passably", suggesting a decent but not excellent quality.

Moderately good

Substitutes "passably" with "moderately", conveying a middle-ground level of quality.

Serviceable

Replaces "passably good" with a single adjective, implying functionality rather than high quality.

Tolerable

Suggests something that is just bearable or acceptable, carrying a slightly less positive connotation than "passably good".

Not bad

An informal way of saying something is acceptable or decent, though not outstanding.

Decent enough

Indicates a level of acceptability that is sufficient for a particular purpose.

FAQs

How can I use "passably good" in a sentence?

Use "passably good" to describe something that is acceptable or satisfactory, but not exceptional. For example, "The movie was passably good, providing some entertainment but lacking depth in the storyline."

What are some alternatives to "passably good"?

You can use alternatives like "adequately good", "sufficiently good", or "acceptably good" depending on the context.

Is "passably good" a positive or negative description?

"Passably good" is generally a neutral to slightly positive description. It suggests that something is adequate or acceptable, but not outstanding. It is more positive than negative, but implies a lack of exceptional quality.

When is it appropriate to use "passably good" instead of "good"?

Use "passably good" when you want to indicate that something meets a basic standard or requirement without being particularly impressive. If something is simply "good", it implies a higher level of quality than "passably good".