blatantly bad

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "blatantly bad" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is obviously or glaringly poor in quality or performance. Example: "The movie received terrible reviews, with critics calling its plot blatantly bad and unoriginal."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

Even going to HR about blatantly bad behavior, said Alexis, can backfire.

The Guardian - Money

Jasper Johns appears with a target stenciled onto his shirt and a newspaper advertisement announcing "Everything Must Be Sold!" near his head: that's two blatantly bad ideas right there.

The New York Times - Arts

Sure, entrepreneurs will call out a blatantly bad idea, and kill strategies that aren't bearing fruit in favor of new ones — quickly and without remorse — but they also work through troublesome ideas — ideas that get negative feedback, or that seem like potential dead-ends — longer than anyone in a large organization would find rational.

Harvard Business Review

While you might think you're fine as long as there's nothing blatantly bad on your social media profiles, you should rethink the messages you're sending out to the world.

Huffington Post

According to Neal Schaffer, author ofMaximize Your Social, "You are what you tweet". While you might think you're fine as long as there's nothing blatantly bad on your social media profiles, you should rethink the messages you're sending out to the world.

HuffPost

After trying to do this, the SESs concluded that they could not do so, except for detecting blatantly bad practices.

CBE Life Sciences Education

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Republicans have taken to blatantly wishing bad things to happen to America so that they can get into office, rather than have to come up with a good reason that they should lead.

Huffington Post

And then those market makers got greedy and started to pillage client accounts, just blatantly packaging bad investments with good and using a little scam to cook the books to make themselves millions but cost most of us billions in lost earnings, homes and investments.

Huffington Post

Would it, like the banks, simply continue quite blatantly with its bad habits, its unsquarable contradictions, if the money to bail it out could be found?

The Guardian - Opinion

The Senate healthcare bill is miserably, egregiously, blatantly, irrevocably, embarrassingly bad.

Huffington Post

Because Keystone North would cross treaty territory, its construction would blatantly violate the "bad man" clause, an arrestable offense the Great Sioux Nation will not abide.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "blatantly bad" when you want to emphasize that something is not just bad, but obviously and unmistakably so. This phrase adds a strong degree of certainty and clarity to your criticism.

Common error

Avoid using "blatantly bad" too frequently, as it can make your writing sound repetitive and overly critical. Use it sparingly for situations where the negative quality is truly obvious and undeniable. Consider alternatives like "obviously poor" or "plainly inadequate" for less emphatic contexts.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "blatantly bad" functions as an intensifier followed by an adjective. It modifies a noun by emphasizing the degree to which something is of poor quality or negative in nature. Ludwig confirms its usability in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Science

17%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "blatantly bad" is used to describe something that is obviously and unmistakably of poor quality. According to Ludwig, it is grammatically correct and suitable for written English. While the phrase appears in a variety of contexts, it is most frequently found in News & Media. To avoid overuse, consider using alternatives such as "patently awful", "obviously poor", or "glaringly substandard". Remember to use the phrase when you want to emphasize the obvious and undeniable nature of something's poor quality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

patently awful

Substitutes "blatantly" with "patently" and "bad" with "awful", emphasizing the obvious and unpleasant nature.

flagrantly terrible

Replaces "blatantly" with "flagrantly" and "bad" with "terrible", highlighting the conspicuous and severely negative quality.

obviously poor

Uses "obviously" instead of "blatantly" and "poor" instead of "bad", focusing on the clear lack of quality.

glaringly substandard

Replaces "blatantly" with "glaringly" and "bad" with "substandard", emphasizing the conspicuous failure to meet expected standards.

conspicuously deficient

Substitutes "blatantly" with "conspicuously" and "bad" with "deficient", pointing out the obvious inadequacy.

plainly inadequate

Uses "plainly" instead of "blatantly" and "inadequate" instead of "bad", focusing on the clear insufficiency.

undeniably inferior

Replaces "blatantly" with "undeniably" and "bad" with "inferior", stressing the unquestionable lower quality.

transparently negative

Substitutes "blatantly" with "transparently" and "bad" with "negative", highlighting the obvious and unfavorable nature.

unmistakably flawed

Uses "unmistakably" instead of "blatantly" and "flawed" instead of "bad", focusing on the clear imperfections.

overtly deficient

Replaces "blatantly" with "overtly" and "bad" with "deficient", emphasizing the open and apparent inadequacy.

FAQs

How can I use "blatantly bad" in a sentence?

You can use "blatantly bad" to describe something that is obviously and unmistakably poor in quality. For example, "The movie's plot was "blatantly bad" and filled with inconsistencies."

What are some synonyms for "blatantly bad"?

Some synonyms for "blatantly bad" include "patently awful", "obviously poor", and "glaringly substandard". These alternatives emphasize the obvious nature of the poor quality.

Is "blatantly bad" a formal or informal expression?

"Blatantly bad" can be used in both formal and informal contexts, but it carries a strong, critical tone. Consider your audience and the purpose of your writing when using this phrase.

What's the difference between "blatantly bad" and "simply bad"?

"Blatantly bad" implies that the poor quality is extremely obvious and undeniable, while "simply bad" is a more general and less emphatic statement. "Blatantly bad" suggests there is no room for debate about the negative quality.