absolutely terrible

USAGE SUMMARY

It is correct and usable.
You can use the phrase "absolutely terrible" in formal and informal writing to express a negative feeling. For example: "I heard the news that the company is closing down and it was absolutely terrible."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Absolutely terrible.

The Guardian - Sport

It was absolutely terrible.

The Guardian

"It feels absolutely terrible.

The New Yorker

Everything was absolutely terrible.

The Guardian

I feel absolutely terrible".

The New York Times

The pictures were absolutely terrible.

The New Yorker

The food was absolutely terrible.

The New York Times

They might be absolutely terrible.

The New York Times

The pollution is absolutely terrible".

The Guardian

The demoralisation was "absolutely terrible".

The Guardian

The weather was absolutely terrible.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "absolutely terrible" to express strong disapproval or negativity, but be mindful of your audience and context. In highly formal settings, consider alternatives like "exceptionally poor".

Common error

Avoid using "absolutely terrible" in professional or academic writing where a more nuanced or objective tone is expected. Opt for phrases like "significantly flawed" or "demonstrably inadequate" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "absolutely terrible" functions as an intensifying adjective phrase, modifying a noun to express a strong negative evaluation. Examples from Ludwig show its usage across various contexts to denote something extremely undesirable or of very poor quality. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Academia

15%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "absolutely terrible" is a common and grammatically correct phrase used to express strong negativity or disapproval. As evidenced by the numerous examples available in Ludwig, it appears frequently in News & Media and less often in academic settings, suggesting a relatively informal register. While generally acceptable, it's advisable to consider more nuanced alternatives in formal contexts. The Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is widely understood and correctly used. When deciding whether to use this phrase, consider your audience and the level of formality required.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

utterly awful

Replaces "terrible" with "awful" and "absolutely" with "utterly", maintaining the intensity but with a different set of descriptive words.

completely dreadful

Substitutes "terrible" with "dreadful" and "absolutely" with "completely", offering a near synonym with a slight difference in tone.

totally horrendous

Replaces "terrible" with "horrendous" and "absolutely" with "totally", intensifying the negative connotation.

thoroughly awful

Employs "thoroughly" instead of "absolutely" and "awful" for "terrible", slightly changing the emphasis.

exceptionally bad

Uses a more formal structure, replacing the adverb-adjective pairing with "exceptionally bad", conveying a similar meaning but with a less emotional tone.

remarkably poor

Similar to "exceptionally bad" in formality, it uses "remarkably poor" to express a negative quality.

simply the worst

Shifts the expression to a superlative form, indicating the highest degree of negativity.

downright awful

Replaces "absolutely" with "downright" while keeping "awful", changing the tone slightly while retaining the negative sentiment.

plain terrible

Uses "plain" in place of "absolutely", creating a more understated expression of negativity.

shockingly bad

Uses "shockingly" in place of "absolutely", suggesting that something isn't just bad, but unexpectedly so.

FAQs

How can I use "absolutely terrible" in a sentence?

You can use "absolutely terrible" to describe something of very poor quality or something that evokes strong disapproval. For example, "The food at that restaurant was absolutely terrible."

What are some alternatives to saying "absolutely terrible"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "utterly awful", "completely dreadful", or "totally horrendous".

Is "absolutely terrible" appropriate for formal writing?

While grammatically correct, "absolutely terrible" might be too informal for certain formal contexts. Consider using more objective language like "exceptionally poor" or "demonstrably inadequate".

What's the difference between "absolutely terrible" and "very bad"?

"Absolutely terrible" expresses a stronger degree of negativity than "very bad". It implies a more intense feeling of disapproval or poor quality.