absolutely bad

USAGE SUMMARY

'absolutely bad' is not a correct usage in written English.
You would use 'absolutely terrible' or 'appalling' instead. Example sentence: The movie was absolutely terrible and I would not recommend it to anyone.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

"This is absolutely bad news.

The New York Times

"If war were purely and absolutely bad in every single aspect and toxic in all its effects, it would probably not happen as often as it does," Junger argues.

The Guardian - Books

Just as Rose is torn between the absolutely bad memory and the absolutely good, his fate as a man has been determined by the fact that he is half black and half white.

The New York Times - Books

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WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

In other words, absolutely zero bad things have happened, and yet we still get just as stressed out as we would if something bad had actually happened.

Huffington Post

"They are absolutely, extraordinarily bad".

The New York Times

Eamon Dunphy: "Shocking... absolutely incredibly bad... pretty awful stuff".

The Guardian - Sport

Sales have fallen off in the second half of this year and the last quarter has been absolutely dramatically bad".

The Guardian - Business

There is absolutely no bad blood between them and they are all 100% behind the decision.

The Guardian - Music

#BiVisibilityDay Twitter Analytics tells me that my tweet has now been read over 4,000 times, and there has been absolutely no bad comments.

Independent

"We have absolutely no bad blood with Total," he says.

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for emphasis, replace "bad" with stronger adjectives like "terrible", "dreadful", or "awful" to more effectively convey the severity of the situation or quality.

Common error

Avoid using "bad" when more descriptive and impactful adjectives are available. Opting for stronger alternatives enhances clarity and the emotional impact of your writing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "absolutely bad" functions as an adverb-adjective combination intended to intensify a negative quality. However, as Ludwig AI indicates, it's not a conventional usage. The examples provided by Ludwig show the phrase used in varied contexts, but often replaced by more suitable alternatives.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Wiki

25%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while "absolutely bad" is understandable, it's generally considered grammatically incorrect in formal English. As Ludwig AI points out, it's better to opt for stronger and more idiomatic alternatives such as "absolutely terrible", "utterly appalling", or "completely awful". Although "absolutely bad" appears in various sources, primarily in News & Media, its infrequency and the availability of better alternatives suggest avoiding it in favor of more standard phrasing. This enhances the clarity and impact of your communication, ensuring your message is both understood and well-received.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

absolutely dreadful

Replaces "bad" with a stronger adjective, "dreadful", to emphasize the severity.

absolutely terrible

Substitutes "bad" with "terrible", indicating a high degree of poor quality or unpleasantness.

utterly appalling

Uses "utterly" as an intensifier and "appalling" instead of "bad" to denote shock or disgust.

completely awful

Employs "completely" to strengthen the adjective "awful", conveying a sense of something very unpleasant.

thoroughly inadequate

Replaces "bad" with "inadequate" and uses "thoroughly" as an intensifier, indicating a lack of suitability or quality.

entirely unacceptable

Substitutes "bad" with "unacceptable", emphasizing that something cannot be tolerated or approved.

absolutely atrocious

Replaces "bad" with the stronger "atrocious," suggesting extreme wickedness or cruelty, intensified by "absolutely."

patently deficient

Replaces "bad" with the formal "deficient," indicating a clear lack of something essential, and uses "patently" to highlight its obviousness.

categorically substandard

Uses "categorically" to emphasize that something is definitively below the required standard.

positively abysmal

Replaces "bad" with "abysmal" implying something is extremely bad and uses positively to strengthen the adjective.

FAQs

What phrases can I use instead of "absolutely bad"?

Alternatives to "absolutely bad" include stronger and more grammatically sound options like "absolutely terrible", "utterly appalling", or "completely awful". The choice depends on the specific nuance you wish to convey.

Is "absolutely bad" grammatically correct?

While understandable, "absolutely bad" is not considered standard English. It's better to use phrases like "absolutely dreadful" or "completely unacceptable", which are more conventional and grammatically sound.

How can I emphasize the negative quality of something without using "absolutely bad"?

To emphasize negativity, use intensifiers with stronger adjectives. For example, instead of "absolutely bad", try "thoroughly inadequate", "positively abysmal", or "categorically substandard".

What's wrong with saying "absolutely bad"?

While understandable, "absolutely bad" is not idiomatic. Standard English prefers stronger adjectives with "absolutely" or other intensifiers. This results in clearer and more impactful communication. Examples include "absolutely atrocious", "patently deficient", or "entirely unacceptable".