appallingly

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "appallingly" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is shockingly bad or unacceptable. Example: "The service at the restaurant was appallingly slow, leaving us frustrated and disappointed."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

When I was an in-patient at the hospital following a fracture I witnessed two of the elderly patients being treated appallingly".

The Guardian

1.09pm: A Liberal Democrat peer has accused David Cameron of treating Nick Clegg "appallingly" and of breaking the coalition agreement.

The Guardian

Cameron has played these issues appallingly badly in the past.

The Guardian - Opinion

I think Nick Clegg was treated appallingly by David Cameron, I really do.

The Guardian

My beard makes up for the fact that, quite appallingly, I was born without a big foxy tail to play with.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Though convicted of an appallingly violent assault in 1989, Allin was nonetheless a kind of punk bouffon, and one that the clown guru Philippe Gaulier would have recognised, inviting us to hate him, self-consciously taking on the mantle of the folk devil.

The Guardian - Opinion

The Republic's national promotion bodies, like tourism and food, certainly do a good sell, and their efforts will be compounded by the positive stories emanating from Ireland after months and months of appallingly negative publicity.

The Guardian

"The people Mann is talking about are those who go out in the evening, become appallingly drunk and need A&E attention because they fell over, choked on their own vomit or fell asleep and got hyperthermia," says Dr Katherine Henderson, an A&E consultant at St Thomas HospitalLondonon and a registrar at the College of Emergency Medicine, who works closely with Mann.

The Guardian

Franco also treated FC Barcelona appallingly.

The Guardian

Only companies that are listed on a recognised stock exchange can turn themselves into REITs, and few of them own residential housing because yields are appallingly low, says Peter Damesick, head of research at CB Richard Ellis, a property consultancy.

The Economist

His decision in June to compensate lepers who had suffered sterilisation and apartheid under an appallingly backward state regime seemed to be a first stab at a new style: justice-ministry bureaucrats wanted to keep fighting against compensation in the courts.At other times, however, Mr Koizumi has seemed less sure of himself.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "appallingly", ensure the context clearly establishes what is causing the shock or dismay to maximize the impact of your statement.

Common error

Avoid using "appallingly" in overly casual settings, as its strong connotation can sound overly dramatic or insincere. Instead, opt for milder adverbs like "badly" or "terribly".

Linguistic Context

The adverb "appallingly" functions to intensify a negative adjective or verb, emphasizing the severity or unacceptability of the action or situation described. As Ludwig AI confirms, the term is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the word "appallingly" is an adverb used to express that something is shockingly bad or unacceptable. Ludwig confirms its grammatical correctness and usability. Predominantly found in news and media contexts, it intensifies negative descriptions and conveys strong disapproval. Remember to use "appallingly" when you need to emphasize a severe negative attribute, but avoid overuse in casual settings where a less intense adverb might be more appropriate. Using alternatives such as "shockingly" or "horrifyingly" can also add nuance to your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

shockingly

Emphasizes the surprise and dismay caused by something bad.

horrifyingly

Highlights the terror and horror associated with the situation.

dreadfully

Implies a great degree of unpleasantness or suffering.

atrociously

Stresses the extreme wickedness or cruelty involved.

terribly

A more general term indicating something is very bad.

awfully

Similar to 'terribly', but can sometimes be used more informally.

egregiously

Highlights that something is conspicuously or outrageously bad.

deplorably

Indicates something that is worthy of strong condemnation.

abominably

Suggests something is detestable and loathsome.

outrageously

Emphasizes the indignation and anger caused by something.

FAQs

How can I use "appallingly" in a sentence?

You can use "appallingly" to describe something that is shockingly bad or unacceptable, such as "The service was "appallingly slow"" or "The situation was "appallingly mismanaged"".

What are some synonyms for "appallingly"?

Alternatives for "appallingly" include "shockingly", "horrifyingly", or "dreadfully", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it appropriate to use "appallingly" in formal writing?

Yes, "appallingly" is appropriate for formal writing when you want to emphasize the extremely negative nature of something. Ensure that the context warrants such a strong term.

What is the difference between "appallingly" and "terribly"?

"Appallingly" suggests a higher degree of shock and dismay compared to "terribly". While "terribly" can indicate something is simply very bad, "appallingly" implies something is shockingly or unacceptably bad.