awfully wrong

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'awfully wrong' is not correct and should not be used in written English.
It should be replaced with 'very wrong'. For example, "It was very wrong of him to take advantage in that way."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

22 human-written examples

Awfully wrong".

The New York Times - Magazine

"Something's awfully wrong here.

The New York Times - Magazine

It's common sense that the world has gone awfully wrong.

Independent

There are three things awfully wrong with this.

The Guardian

This could go awfully wrong, but is it unethical?

The New York Times - Magazine

"There seems like there was something awfully wrong to make such a huge explosion".

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

38 human-written examples

Aaron Morse's new paintings suggest, ever so subtly, that something has gone god-awfully wrong with the world we live in.

Los Angeles Times

MARK STRONG: I meant, blast your eyes Robin Hood DOWNEY JRR: Awfully sorry, but wrong again.

The Guardian - Film

Venky's spent an awfully long time getting everything wrong when they took over, so it is only fair to point out they do at least appear to have found another way than the theory of chaos.

The Guardian - Sport

The poor quality of the experience comes to a climax in awfully designed boss battles where one wrong move means instant death and it is never clear what exactly constitutes a wrong move.

The Guardian - Tech

Maybe I'm wrong, but she's awfully light-skinned, and looks pretty polished, for the middle-of-nowhere Alaska.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

While "awfully wrong" is frequently used, consider using "very wrong" or another similar alternative for grammatically correct and clearer communication. This is particularly important in formal writing.

Common error

Avoid relying heavily on informal adverbs like "awfully" in formal writing. Opt for more precise and professional language to maintain credibility and clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "awfully wrong" functions as an adverb-adjective construction used to modify a statement or situation, indicating a significant deviation from what is correct or acceptable. Ludwig AI indicates this phrase may not be correct.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

87%

Wiki

4%

Science

4%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "awfully wrong" is used to express a strong degree of incorrectness or a serious problem. While its use is common in news and media, Ludwig AI marks it as grammatically incorrect, suggesting the use of alternatives like "very wrong" or "seriously wrong" for increased grammatical correctness and clarity. When communicating in a formal setting, consider prioritizing precise language to maintain clarity and credibility.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

very wrong

Replaces "awfully" with "very", a more standard and grammatically accepted intensifier.

seriously wrong

Substitutes "awfully" with "seriously", emphasizing the gravity of the error.

terribly wrong

Replaces "awfully" with "terribly", another intensifier suggesting a severe mistake.

extremely wrong

Uses "extremely" in place of "awfully" to highlight the extent of the incorrectness.

badly mistaken

Shifts the focus to the state of being mistaken, using "badly" as the intensifier.

far from correct

Expresses the idea of being incorrect in a more descriptive and indirect manner.

quite incorrect

Uses "quite" to soften the assertion of being wrong, while still conveying the message.

substantially incorrect

Emphasizes the degree of incorrectness with "substantially", implying a significant deviation from the truth.

patently false

Highlights the obviousness of the error, suggesting it is clearly and undeniably wrong.

completely erroneous

Uses "completely erroneous" to indicate that something is entirely based on error or misinformation.

FAQs

Is it grammatically correct to use "awfully wrong"?

While commonly used, "awfully wrong" is considered grammatically incorrect. It's better to use alternatives like "very wrong" or "seriously wrong".

What does "awfully wrong" mean?

"Awfully wrong" means something is significantly or severely incorrect. However, the word "awfully" is often considered an informal intensifier.

What are some alternatives to "awfully wrong"?

You can use phrases like "terribly wrong", "extremely wrong", or "seriously wrong" to convey a similar meaning while maintaining grammatical correctness.

In what contexts is it appropriate to use "awfully wrong"?

Although the phrase is grammatically dubious, it is mainly used in informal speech and writing. For formal contexts, substitute "awfully wrong" with "very wrong" or another similar, more formal alternative.