awful timing

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "awful timing" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where the timing of an event is particularly bad or inconvenient. Example: "I had planned to propose to her during the family gathering, but with the unexpected news of my grandmother's illness, it felt like awful timing."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Sports Journalism

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

It was awful timing by Balotelli as third-placed Milan's next two games are against second-placed Napoli and leaders Juventus as they try to wrap up the third and final Champions League spot.

Independent

Bell had awful timing last season when he criticized Manager Larry Dierker for dropping him from second to sixth in the lineup on the day that Dierker returned from brain surgery.

The New York Times - Sports

They followed the new Greek and Roman Galleries, all 57,000 square feet of polished marble and skylight, unveiled in April — awful timing, with looted antiquities so much in the news, but a symbolic culmination to Mr. de Montebello's legacy, which was never about celebrity architecture or fashion or political correctness.

The New York Times - Arts

When trouble brews, as it inevitably will, ousting a seasoned business leader shows awful timing, especially when no clear successor is on deck.

Forbes

The gag sputters along on the pretense of his awful timing, until he drags an audience member onstage and a spark of unpredictability ignites the situation.

Los Angeles Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

The ideas seemed swell at the time, but Pontikes' timing was awful, coming right before both the Web and the DSL industry collapsed.

Forbes

The timing was awful.

Forbes

The timing is awful, since so much attention is focused on looting.

The New York Times - Arts

The timing is awful: commodity prices are falling and surface deposits of gems and minerals are almost exhausted.

The Economist

Even if everyone over 35 has had that sort of blanking moment, Perry's timing was awful.

The New York Times - Magazine

I was doing nothing; I hadn't invited any contact from the other man, but the timing was awful.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In formal reports, consider whether a more objective term like "unfortunate timing" might be more appropriate depending on your target audience.

Common error

Do not use "awful timing" when you actually mean you had a bad experience over a period of time. Use "awful time" for the duration of an event and "awful timing" specifically for the moment something occurred.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "awful timing" functions primarily as a noun phrase used to characterize a specific instance of bad luck or poor scheduling. According to Ludwig, it is often used as a predicative nominative (e.g., "the news was awful timing") or as an appositive to describe a preceding clause. The word awful serves as a gradable adjective modifying the noun timing.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Sports Analysis

20%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Scientific Research

5%

Legal Documents

3%

Academic Textbooks

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "awful timing" is a widely accepted and highly effective phrase for describing events that occur at the worst possible moment. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and high frequency across elite publications like The New Yorker and The Guardian. It is most effectively used in narrative or journalistic writing to highlight irony or the gravity of a situation. While synonymous with "bad timing", it carries a heavier emotional weight, making it a powerful tool for emphasizing frustration or critical misfortune in both professional and personal contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

terrible timing

An exact synonym that maintains the same level of intensity as the original query.

dreadful timing

Utilizes a British-inflected adjective for a similarly strong negative connotation.

unfortunate timing

Provides a slightly more empathetic or neutral tone than the harshness of awful.

atrocious timing

Increases the hyperbolic intensity to suggest a catastrophic level of inconvenience.

bad timing

A simpler, more direct alternative suitable for everyday conversation.

poor timing

Commonly used in professional and business contexts to describe strategic missteps.

impeccably bad timing

Adds a sarcastic or ironic flair by pairing a positive adverb with a negative adjective.

inopportune moment

A more formal and sophisticated way to describe an event happening at the wrong time.

ill-timed

Uses a compound adjective structure to modify a following noun or stand as a predicate.

unlucky timing

Attributes the poor occurrence to chance or external fate rather than just quality.

FAQs

How do I use "awful timing" in a sentence?

You can use it as a subject or a predicate, for example: "The engine failure was "awful timing" for our road trip" or "It was a case of "awful timing" when the power went out during the presentation".

What is a more formal way to say "awful timing"?

In professional writing, you can use alternatives like "inopportune moment", "unfortunate conjunction of events", or "poor timing".

What's the difference between "awful timing" and "bad timing"?

The main difference is intensity. While "bad timing" is standard and neutral, "awful timing" suggests a much greater degree of frustration or disaster.

Is it correct to say "timing was awful"?

Yes, both are correct. You can use it as a noun phrase "awful timing" or as a sentence structure like "the timing was awful" to describe the same situation.