appallingly good

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "appallingly good" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is surprisingly excellent, often in a way that contrasts with the negative connotation of "appalling." Example: "The movie was appallingly good, leaving the audience both shocked and entertained."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The old town is littered with tiny bars; there's the famous Bar Pilar (Calle Moro Zeit, 13; 00 34 9639 10497) with its appallingly good patatas bravas and clochinas – fat mussels whose shells litter the floor, and lovely, antique St Jaume (C/Caballeros, 51; 00 34 9639 12401).

BBC

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

But most of the movie's notes are appallingly right.

The New York Times

But such builders, he said, were doing "appallingly well".

The New York Times

"I thought we defended appallingly to be honest.

The Guardian - Sport

What's exciting in a role like this, as with Lear or Richard III, is to try to show that this man is capable of tenderness and compassion, but has good reason to behave appallingly.

The Guardian

That's all well and good, but there are appallingly low barriers to entry in the daily deals space, and while Groupon deserves much credit for maintaining a firm grasp on market share in spite of a slew of competition (much of which has now receded), it must now transition from Groupon 1.0 to Groupon 2.0.

TechCrunch

It is because it is appallingly difficult to do well.

The Guardian - Opinion

In medicine, good ideas still take an appallingly long time to trickle down.

The New Yorker

For years "The Kennel Murder Case" has circulated only in appallingly bad public-domain prints, but the good people at Warner Archive have unearthed a far better version for this release.

The New York Times

America's appallingly defective sexual education is well documented.

Vice

Is it possible for a story about appallingly sexist advice in a men's magazine to be good news?

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "appallingly good" to add a touch of irony or humor when describing something unexpectedly excellent. It's particularly effective when the context initially suggests a negative outcome.

Common error

Avoid using "appallingly good" in contexts where a purely positive and straightforward description is needed. The phrase carries a subtle layer of irony and might be misinterpreted if the audience isn't receptive to it.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "appallingly good" functions as an intensifier modifying an adjective. The adverb "appallingly" strengthens the adjective "good", creating a surprising or ironic effect. As noted by Ludwig AI, the phrase is usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "appallingly good" describes something unexpectedly excellent, using the adverb "appallingly" to ironically intensify the positive adjective "good". Ludwig AI confirms its usability in written English. While rare, its primary function is to express strong approval, often with a touch of surprise or humor. It is commonly found in News & Media contexts. Alternatives like "surprisingly good" or "amazingly good" offer similar meanings but lack the same degree of ironic emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Horribly good

Replaces "appallingly" with "horribly", maintaining a similar sense of surprising excellence but with a slightly different tone.

Terrifyingly good

Substitutes "appallingly" with "terrifyingly", suggesting that the excellence is so great as to be almost frightening.

Extraordinarily good

Replaces "appallingly" with "extraordinarily", emphasizing the exceptional quality in a more straightforward manner.

Amazingly good

Changes "appallingly" to "amazingly", focusing on the surprising and impressive nature of the goodness.

Incredibly good

Replaces "appallingly" with "incredibly", highlighting the difficulty in believing how good something is.

Frighteningly good

Substitutes "appallingly" with "frighteningly", indicating the excellence is overwhelming or intense.

Woefully good

Changes "appallingly" to "woefully", implying a humorous or ironic surprise at the high quality.

Astonishingly good

Replaces "appallingly" with "astonishingly", focusing on the amazement caused by the goodness.

Unbelievably good

Substitutes "appallingly" with "unbelievably", emphasizing the incredulity at the level of quality.

Surprisingly good

Changes "appallingly" to "surprisingly", highlighting the unexpected nature of the positive quality.

FAQs

How can "appallingly good" be used in a sentence?

You can use "appallingly good" to describe something surprisingly excellent, as in, "The amateur production of Hamlet was "appallingly good", exceeding all expectations."

What are some alternatives to saying "appallingly good"?

Alternatives include "surprisingly good", "amazingly good", or "incredibly good" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to use "appallingly" with a positive adjective like "good"?

Yes, using "appallingly" with a positive adjective creates a sense of ironic surprise. It implies that something is so good it's almost shocking or unexpected.

What's the difference between "appallingly good" and "surprisingly good"?

"Appallingly good" carries a stronger sense of unexpectedness or irony compared to "surprisingly good". The former suggests a greater contrast between expectation and reality.