dreadful hour

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "dreadful hour" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a time that is particularly unpleasant or distressing, often in a literary or dramatic context. Example: "As the clock struck midnight, she knew she was entering a dreadful hour filled with uncertainty and fear."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

It is the weekend party's dreadful hour;.

The New Yorker

One provides an unsettling soundtrack to the dreadful hour and a half between the sinking, at two-twenty in the morning, and the appearance of a rescue ship.

The New Yorker

By Morris Bishop The New Yorker, July 14 , 1934P. 20 It is the weekend party's dreadful hour; View Article By Alan Burdick By Larissa MacFarquhar By Phil Klay By Charles Bethea.

The New Yorker

Ruler of the world, God of the universe, Bless us with prayer and give our humble soul rest in this unbearable, dreadful hour.

Wikipedia

Maybe it was when I was grimly scrolling through the profiles of my old classmates at some dreadful hour; maybe it was when I found myself looking on the Facebook pages of people who'd recently been convicted of violent crimes; maybe it was on Sarah "the most normal person on Earth" Harding's Twitter.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

That night, for the first of many dark nights, I lay awake, small and frightened, and utterly unable to keep still through the dreadful hours.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

This is the casual sex Z-list: the people who you will end up reaching out to at the loneliest moments possible – Christmas Eve, nightbus home, the cold and dreadful hours following a Tinder date with someone who looked a little bit like your mum.

Vice

He did however provide some much needed entertainment as we were stuck at a dreadful four hour long experimental brass performance at a horseracing track in the middle of nowhere outside of Bergen, Norway.

Vice

How Peter Bradshaw and Philip French can find a single redeeming quality in this dreadful two-hour river of bathetic, emotionless, drama-free drivel baffles me.

The Guardian

NASHVILLE -- It was a dreadful five hours for the Southeastern Conference here Thursday afternoon as one of the league's marquee players, South Carolina's Devan Downey, had a disappointing finish to his career and one of its marquee teams, No. 15 Tennessee, had a near-disastrous start to its postseason.

The New York Times

"This is surprisingly tricky, but essentially it's a subgenre of horror media that often deals with landscape, belief, folklore, superstition, and the supernatural in various mixes," said Adam Scovell, filmmaker and author of Folk Horror: Hours Dreadful and Things Strange.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider the audience and tone. "Dreadful hour" might be suitable for a novel or a play, but less appropriate for everyday conversation or business communication.

Common error

Avoid using "dreadful hour" to describe mildly unpleasant situations. Using it to describe a long meeting or a traffic jam, for example, can sound exaggerated and out of place.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "dreadful hour" primarily functions as a noun phrase, where "dreadful" is an adjective modifying the noun "hour". It describes a specific period characterized by negativity. Ludwig examples show it used to depict moments of intense distress or anticipation of negative events. Ludwig AI confirms it as a valid and usable phrase.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

80%

Wiki

20%

Science

0%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

"Dreadful hour" is a grammatically sound phrase, though relatively rare in contemporary usage. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness. It functions as a noun phrase describing a particularly unpleasant or foreboding time, often with literary or dramatic flair. While generally correct, it's important to consider the context and audience to avoid sounding overly dramatic in everyday situations. More common alternatives include "terrible time" or "awful moment". Its presence in reputable sources like The New Yorker indicates its validity, but its infrequent usage suggests careful consideration before employing it.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

terrible time

This alternative uses a more common adjective, making it slightly less dramatic.

awful moment

Similar to "terrible time", this option is less intense and more generally applicable.

dark period

Focuses on the negativity and lack of hope associated with the time.

grim interval

This alternative maintains a similar level of intensity and negativity.

trying episode

Highlights the challenging and stressful aspect of the experience.

unpleasant period

This is a more formal and detached way of describing a difficult time.

horrific instance

Emphasizes the shocking and disturbing nature of the time.

difficult juncture

More formal and emphasizes a critical point in time.

inauspicious moment

Highlights the unfortunate or unlucky nature of the timing.

unhappy occasion

A milder alternative, suitable for less severe situations.

FAQs

How can "dreadful hour" be used in a sentence?

You can use "dreadful hour" to describe a particularly unpleasant or distressing time, often in a literary or dramatic context. For example, "As the clock struck midnight, she knew she was entering a "dreadful hour" filled with uncertainty and fear".

What are some alternatives to "dreadful hour"?

Alternatives include "terrible time", "awful moment", or "unpleasant period", depending on the specific context and level of formality.

Is "dreadful hour" a common expression?

No, "dreadful hour" is not a particularly common expression. It's more often found in literature or dramatic writing than in everyday speech or writing.

What is the tone of "dreadful hour"?

"Dreadful hour" has a strong negative and often dramatic tone, suggesting a time filled with fear, anxiety, or suffering. It is more intense than simply saying a time was "difficult" or "unpleasant".