downright appalling

USAGE SUMMARY

"downright appalling" is a correct and commonly used phrase in written English.
It means extremely or completely shocking, unpleasant, or unacceptable. You can use this phrase in various situations when you want to emphasize the level of negativity or disgust you are feeling towards something or someone. For example: - The conditions in the prison were downright appalling. The inmates were living in overcrowded cells with no access to basic necessities. - The customer service at that restaurant was downright appalling. We waited over an hour for our food and when it finally arrived, it was cold and undercooked. - The way he treated his employees was downright appalling. He constantly belittled them and never gave them credit for their hard work. - The team's performance was downright appalling. They lost every single game of the season and showed no improvement. - The pollution in the city was downright appalling. The air was thick with smog and the streets were littered with garbage.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

In fact, some parts of cruises are downright appalling.

The Guardian - Music

In attempting to understand humanity we can expect to find that what motivates people is, too often, not very admirable and sometimes downright appalling.

The Guardian - Opinion

The rush of N.B.A. money has made the deal the players got at the end of the 2012 lockout — which, with its restrictive salaries, seemed bad enough at the time — look downright appalling.

The New Yorker

As if the job search isn't hard enough, the treatment that these individuals got while applying is downright appalling.

Science Magazine

Meanwhile Greste - who used to work for the BBC - and reporter Mohamed Fahmy and producer Baher Mohamed were tried in Cairo and are currently in the city's Tora prison, which Mr Kane described as "inhospitable and downright appalling".

BBC

Worse than anachronistic, the policy may in fact be counterproductive, if not downright appalling.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

Mountford was downright appalled.

The Guardian

It's appalling — appalling.

The New York Times

Downright Stengelian.

The New York Times - Sports

Downright unAmerican?

The Economist

Quite appalling.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "downright appalling" to express strong disapproval or shock in situations where you want to emphasize the severity of something negative. It is particularly effective when describing behavior, conditions, or decisions that are morally questionable or significantly below expectations.

Common error

Avoid using "downright appalling" too frequently in everyday conversations, as its strong connotation can sound overly dramatic or insincere in less serious contexts. Opt for milder alternatives like "very bad" or "unpleasant" for more casual situations.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "downright appalling" functions as a compound adjective, modifying a noun to express a strong negative evaluation. As Ludwig AI confirms, it emphasizes the extreme or complete nature of something that is shocking, unpleasant, or unacceptable. Examples show its use in describing conditions, treatment, and performance.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "downright appalling" is a compound adjective used to express strong disapproval or shock. Ludwig AI confirms that it conveys the extreme nature of something negative. While grammatically correct and commonly found in news and media contexts, its use should be considered carefully in overly casual situations. Related phrases, like "utterly dreadful" or "absolutely shocking", can serve as alternatives depending on the desired level of formality and emphasis. Understanding its function and communicative purpose allows for effective and impactful communication. It is rarely used in formal and business contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

utterly dreadful

Replaces "appalling" with "dreadful" and "downright" with "utterly", maintaining the emphasis on the negative quality.

absolutely shocking

Substitutes "appalling" with "shocking" and "downright" with "absolutely", conveying surprise and strong disapproval.

thoroughly reprehensible

Replaces the entire phrase with a more formal and intense term, "reprehensible", indicating strong moral objection.

completely unacceptable

Focuses on the lack of acceptability rather than the shock value, making it suitable for professional contexts.

simply outrageous

Emphasizes the outrageous nature of something, implying it goes beyond acceptable boundaries.

genuinely awful

Replaces "downright appalling" with more casual terms but retains the negative sentiment.

truly horrifying

Shifts the focus to the horrifying aspect, suitable when describing something that causes great fear or distress.

patently offensive

Highlights the offensive nature of something, indicating it's clearly and undeniably inappropriate.

blatantly unacceptable

Similar to "completely unacceptable" but emphasizes the obviousness of the unacceptability.

thoroughly disappointing

Softens the tone by focusing on disappointment rather than outrage, suitable for less severe situations.

FAQs

How can I use "downright appalling" in a sentence?

You can use "downright appalling" to describe something extremely shocking, unpleasant, or unacceptable. For example, "The living conditions in that building were "downright appalling"."

What are some alternatives to saying "downright appalling"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "utterly dreadful", "absolutely shocking", or "thoroughly reprehensible".

Is "downright appalling" suitable for formal writing?

While "downright appalling" is understandable, it may be perceived as slightly informal for very formal contexts. Consider using stronger, more formal synonyms like "thoroughly reprehensible" or "completely unacceptable".

What makes "downright appalling" different from "simply appalling"?

The term "downright" intensifies the adjective "appalling", suggesting a more complete or extreme degree of the described quality than "simply appalling".