a dreadful day

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a dreadful day" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a day that was particularly unpleasant or filled with misfortune. Example: "After the storm caused so much damage, it truly felt like a dreadful day for the entire community."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Sport

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

17 human-written examples

You can have a dreadful day and yet in the evening give your best performance of the month.

The Guardian

Bloody Sunday was a dreadful day for the army, but Blair made a point of saying that he had the "strongest admiration" for the role played by the security forces over the years during the Troubles.

The Guardian

Ron Davies and Terry Paine were the stars for Southampton, but they had a dreadful day on a bog of a pitch that got worse as the rain kept falling.

The Guardian - Sport

David Florence became the latest in an increasingly long line of genuine British medal hopefuls to endure a dreadful day at the office, finishing dead last in the final of the canoe slalom and missing out on victory by a titanic margin of more than 14 seconds.

The Guardian - Sport

This has been a dreadful day for them.

BBC

After a dreadful day of sitting on the couch, sleeping on the couch and playing Assassin's Creed from the couch since I was under the weather yesterday, I return to the CrunchGear/TechCrunch office to find a UPS box waiting for me.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

43 human-written examples

Tsotsi has a certain surly charm, enough to command the allegiance of a small gang, and we're introduced to him on a particularly dreadful day.

The Guardian - Film

The notable aspect was not so much the game, which we won 19-0 on a dreadful wet day, but the build-up.

The Guardian - Sport

So, unsurprisingly perhaps, when Widgery's report was published three months after the dreadful day, it amounted to an endorsement of the original official reaction.

Huffington Post

Lamb's novel is a fictional account of the Columbine shootings, and he weaves firsthand narratives of what happened on that dreadful day with the story of a fictional couple whose lives are forever altered afterwards.

Huffington Post

Glynnis MacNicol's article on career burnout for Elle.com brought back all these memories from that dreadful day in the suburbs of Tokyo, fainting in a sample that clung to my exposed ribs and bony hips.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a dreadful day" to emphasize the severe unpleasantness or misfortune experienced on a specific day, choosing it over milder terms to convey the depth of negative emotions or outcomes.

Common error

Avoid using "a dreadful day" in everyday, trivial situations. Reserve it for truly significant negative experiences to maintain its impact and avoid sounding melodramatic.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a dreadful day" functions as a noun phrase, where "dreadful" acts as an adjective modifying the noun "day". It typically serves to describe and emphasize the negative quality of a particular day. Ludwig provides examples where this phrase is used to describe tragic events or significant misfortunes.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Sport

12%

Science

12%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a dreadful day" is a noun phrase used to express strong negative emotions about a particular day. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is correct and appropriate for use in written English. Its frequency is uncommon, with the most frequent contexts being news and media, and sport. When using "a dreadful day", it's best to reserve it for significantly negative experiences to avoid sounding melodramatic. Alternatives include "a terrible day", "an awful day", and "a horrible day". Authoritative sources like The Guardian and The New York Times use this phrase, indicating its acceptance in formal writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a terrible day

Replaces "dreadful" with "terrible", offering a more common synonym to describe a very bad day.

an awful day

Substitutes "dreadful" with "awful", indicating a day filled with unpleasantness or misfortune.

a horrible day

Replaces "dreadful" with "horrible", emphasizing the unpleasant and shocking nature of the day.

a disastrous day

Focuses on the catastrophic nature of the day, highlighting significant failures or negative outcomes.

an unfortunate day

Emphasizes the bad luck associated with the day, suggesting a series of negative events.

a calamitous day

Highlights the severely damaging or tragic nature of the day's events.

a day of misfortune

Shifts the phrasing to focus on the general lack of luck throughout the day.

a day of tragedy

Emphasizes the grievous and sorrowful events that occurred on the day.

a day to forget

Suggests the desire to erase the day from memory due to its unpleasantness.

a black day

Uses a metaphorical description to convey the darkness and negativity associated with the day.

FAQs

What does "a dreadful day" mean?

The phrase "a dreadful day" describes a day filled with unpleasant experiences, misfortune, or tragedy. It conveys a strong sense of negativity and is used to emphasize the severity of the events that occurred.

How can I use "a dreadful day" in a sentence?

You can use "a dreadful day" to describe a specific day that was particularly bad. For example: "After the factory closed, it was "a dreadful day" for the entire town."

What can I say instead of "a dreadful day"?

You can use alternatives like "a terrible day", "an awful day", or "a horrible day", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it appropriate to use "a dreadful day" in formal writing?

Yes, "a dreadful day" is appropriate for formal writing, especially when describing significant negative events or tragedies. However, consider the context and audience to ensure it aligns with the overall tone.