famously awful

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "famously awful" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is well-known for being bad or of poor quality. Example: "The movie was famously awful, receiving numerous negative reviews and becoming a cult classic for its unintentional humor."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

Sandy's perpetually on the Atkins diet he eats only varieties of meat and his table manners are famously awful.

The New Yorker

Meryl Streep is to star in a biopic of the famously awful opera singer Florence Foster Jenkins for director Stephen Frears, reports Variety.

The Guardian - Film

Famously awful poet William McGonagall faced scorn during his lifetime but a collection of his broadsheets sold for £6,600 at auction.

The Guardian - Books

In one pungent sequence, Clark gets that famously awful haircut, then drifts past a firing squad of gawkers, like Carrie at the prom, as her face quivers with recognition that she's become a dirty joke.

The New Yorker

I say unexpected because an outdoor movie in December is not possible in the frigid Northeast, and quirky because the main feature was "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians," a famously awful 1964 film that, thanks to my poor taste in movies, I actually enjoyed.

The New York Times

This is partly, perhaps, because of its proximity to the real Roswell, but also because they're both rumored to be hiding aliens: the dump was said to hold more than three million copies of the famously awful Atari adaptation of Steven Spielberg's "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial".

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

The British triple jumper Jonathan Edwards famously described the swimming team as "awful" in Sydney in 2000 and suggested that around 90% of them were "only there to have fun".

The Guardian - Sport

Beckett was famously private, but that didn't stop him from writing an awful lot of letters.

The Guardian - Books

Mark Twain famously lamented such erratic genders as female turnips and neuter maidens in his rant "The Awful German Language".

The New York Times - Magazine

​If this was the day that McFly and Brown "lived the dream", famously time-travelling to 21 October 2015 in Back to the Future, they would have missed an awful lot where Leeds United are concerned.

The Guardian - Sport

Awful, Awful, Awful.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "famously awful" to describe something that has gained notoriety specifically for its poor quality or negative attributes, ensuring the audience is aware of this established reputation.

Common error

Avoid using "famously awful" to describe something with minor or subjective flaws. Reserve it for situations where the poor quality is widely recognized and has achieved a certain level of notoriety.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "famously awful" functions as an adverbial modifier followed by an adjective, intensifying the negative quality of something. As shown in the Ludwig examples, it's used to emphasize that something isn't just bad, but widely known for being so.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "famously awful" is a descriptor used when something is incredibly bad and widely recognized as such. Ludwig's analysis indicates it is grammatically correct and most commonly found in News & Media contexts. While alternatives like "notoriously terrible" or "infamously bad" exist, "famously awful" effectively conveys both the poor quality and the widespread awareness of it. As the Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is appropriate for describing things known for their extreme negative attributes, but should be avoided for minor flaws.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

notoriously terrible

Emphasizes the widely known negative quality, with 'notorious' highlighting the infamy.

infamously bad

Focuses on the negative reputation and ill fame associated with the subject.

widely considered dreadful

Highlights the broad consensus of poor quality.

universally panned

Specifically refers to critical disapproval, especially in the context of creative works.

renowned for its awfulness

Directly states the widespread recognition of the subject's poor quality.

famously substandard

Implies a well-known failure to meet expected standards.

celebrated for being bad

Highlights that the subject is popular because is perceived as bad.

legendarily poor

Emphasizes the long-standing and widely recognized nature of the subject's poor quality.

synonymous with terribleness

Indicates that the subject is strongly associated with being terrible.

iconically bad

Suggests the subject's badness has become iconic and memorable.

FAQs

How can I appropriately use "famously awful" in a sentence?

Use "famously awful" to describe something widely recognized for its extreme poor quality. For example, "The movie is "famously awful", with critics and audiences alike panning its plot and acting."

What are some alternative ways to express that something is "famously awful"?

Consider alternatives such as "notoriously bad", "infamously terrible", or "widely considered dreadful" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is there a difference between saying something is "famously awful" and "famously bad"?

While similar, "famously awful" emphasizes a stronger negative quality and implies a greater degree of widespread disdain compared to "famously bad".

Can "famously awful" be used for positive qualities?

No, "famously awful" is exclusively used to describe things known for their extreme negative qualities or poor performance. Using it for positive qualities would be contradictory and confusing.