absolutely vicious

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "absolutely vicious" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is extremely cruel, harsh, or aggressive in nature. Example: "The criticism she received was absolutely vicious, leaving her feeling demoralized and hurt."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

And 'Mother of God, why do I feel so lonely?' She lashes out, too, and she's absolutely vicious sometimes".

The New Yorker

Not since Darwin's Plots, she says, which got one "absolutely vicious" one in the New York Review of Books, dismissing her book as of no interest to anyone except a few literary theorists.

The Guardian

Delicious provocations, schemes and absolutely vicious verbal barbs ensue.

Huffington Post

Our government has charged us $2 billion a week for this fiasco, right in the middle of an absolutely vicious jobs crisis.

Huffington Post

They blast out absolutely vicious melodic black metal from Nottingham, UK that's as potent and necessary as a signal flare and comes with a simple message: Destroy NSBM.

Vice

With regards to what the Puerto Rican called the "absolutely vicious" racist backlash he received after singing "God Bless America" at the MLB All-Star game last week, Anthony admitted he wasn't surprised.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

Ms. Zakharova said Russia considered such arrests "a vicious trend, absolutely unacceptable and inadmissible".

The New York Times

"All the while Kerr has shown absolutely no remorse for his vicious attack, calling the victim a 'wimp' and verbally abusing him as he was lying in agony on the pitch.

Independent

Many of them were young, and had absolutely no knowledge of the vicious stereotyping of blacks of years past.

Huffington Post

They invariably include a sentence like this one, from a letter he sent last month: "To begin with, I am completely, absolutely and totally innocent of this vicious crime".

The New York Times

It was also absolutely bloody freezing, an astonishing -16C: searing, vicious cold that seeped into every fibre of our beings.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "absolutely vicious" to emphasize the extreme and unrestrained nature of cruelty, aggression, or negativity. It is particularly effective when describing actions, words, or situations that are shockingly severe.

Common error

Avoid using "absolutely vicious" in everyday conversation or light-hearted scenarios. Its intensity can be jarring and inappropriate if the situation does not warrant such strong language.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "absolutely vicious" functions as an intensified adjective phrase, modifying a noun to emphasize an extreme quality. Ludwig AI indicates that it's used to strongly convey a negative attribute.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "absolutely vicious" is an intensified adjective phrase used to express extreme cruelty or aggression. Ludwig AI confirms that it's a grammatically correct expression. While its frequency is uncommon, it's primarily found in news and media contexts to strongly condemn actions or behaviors. For alternative phrasing, consider "utterly brutal" or "completely savage" to convey similar levels of intensity. It's best to reserve this phrase for situations where the negativity is genuinely severe, avoiding overuse in casual contexts to maintain its impact.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

utterly brutal

Replaces "vicious" with "brutal", emphasizing the harsh and merciless nature.

completely savage

Substitutes "vicious" with "savage", highlighting the uncontrolled and ferocious aspect.

totally ruthless

Replaces "vicious" with "ruthless", focusing on the lack of compassion or pity.

extremely cruel

Replaces the entire phrase with a more direct and common expression of intense cruelty.

intensely malicious

Substitutes "vicious" with "malicious", emphasizing the intent to do harm.

fiercely aggressive

Replaces "vicious" with "aggressive", highlighting the forceful and combative nature.

downright nasty

Uses a more informal term "nasty" to replace "vicious", softening the tone slightly while maintaining the negative connotation.

genuinely atrocious

Replaces "vicious" with "atrocious", emphasizing the shocking and horrifying aspect.

positively barbaric

Replaces "vicious" with "barbaric", suggesting a primitive and uncivilized level of cruelty.

unquestionably malevolent

Replaces "vicious" with "malevolent", focusing on the deep-seated evil intent.

FAQs

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

You can use "absolutely vicious" to describe intense cruelty or aggression, such as "The criticism she received was absolutely vicious." It emphasizes the extreme nature of the action or behavior.

What are some alternatives to "absolutely vicious"?

Alternatives include "utterly brutal", "completely savage", or "totally ruthless", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "absolutely vicious" formal or informal?

"Absolutely vicious" is generally considered a strong and somewhat dramatic phrase. It is suitable for formal writing when describing intensely negative situations but might be too strong for casual conversation.

What makes "absolutely vicious" different from "very mean"?

"Absolutely vicious" implies a higher degree of cruelty and aggression compared to "very mean". While "very mean" suggests unkindness, "absolutely vicious" suggests a deliberate and extreme intent to harm.