felt awful

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "felt awful" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to express a strong sense of discomfort, sadness, or regret about a situation or experience. Example: "After hearing the news, I felt awful for not being there to support my friend."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Afterward I felt awful.

The New Yorker

I felt awful.

Independent

He felt awful.

The New York Times

I felt awful again.

The Guardian

But I felt awful.

The New York Times

Torn, Simon felt awful.

The Guardian

Well, I felt awful.

The New York Times - Magazine

I just felt awful".

The New York Times

"It felt awful," Meyer said.

The New York Times - Sports

"Tom felt awful about it".

The New Yorker

"It felt awful," he said.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming to express the experience with an event or situation, consider employing synonyms like "felt terrible" or "felt horrible" for a more nuanced description.

Common error

While "felt awful" is acceptable, it can sound too informal for academic or professional contexts. Opt for more precise and sophisticated language to describe the specific feeling, such as "experienced significant discomfort" or "was deeply concerned".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "felt awful" functions as a subjective description of a negative emotional or physical state. It commonly follows a personal pronoun or noun, expressing the subject's experience. The usage in Ludwig examples affirms its role in portraying personal feelings.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "felt awful" is a very common and grammatically correct way to describe a negative emotional or physical experience. As supported by Ludwig examples, it's frequently used in news and media to convey personal feelings of discomfort, sadness, or regret. While generally neutral in register, it's best to consider the formality of your writing context and perhaps use a more nuanced synonym if needed. Ultimately, Ludwig AI confirms that "felt awful" serves to effectively communicate a personal state of being unwell or unhappy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

felt terrible

Similar in meaning, but with a slightly broader application, encompassing physical and emotional discomfort.

felt horrible

Emphasizes a strong feeling of unpleasantness or distress, often related to a specific event.

felt dreadful

Suggests a sense of being overwhelmed by unpleasantness, implying a more intense negative experience.

felt wretched

Conveys a feeling of deep unhappiness and misery, often linked to illness or misfortune.

felt lousy

Indicates a state of being unwell or unhappy, often used informally.

felt ill

Specifically relates to feeling physically unwell.

felt sick

Another way to express physical discomfort or nausea.

felt remorseful

Focuses on regret and guilt about something one has done.

felt guilty

Highlights the feeling of responsibility and regret for a wrongdoing.

felt ashamed

Emphasizes the feeling of embarrassment or disgrace about one's actions or situation.

FAQs

What does "felt awful" mean?

"Felt awful" means experiencing a strong feeling of discomfort, sadness, or regret. It can refer to physical or emotional states.

What can I say instead of "felt awful"?

You can use alternatives like "felt terrible", "felt horrible", or "felt dreadful" depending on the intensity and context.

Is it correct to say "I feel awfully" instead of "I felt awful"?

While "awfully" can be used as an adverb, saying "I feel awfully" changes the meaning. "I felt awful" describes a state of being, whereas "I feel awfully" is less common and might describe how you perform an action.

How can I use "felt awful" in a sentence?

You can use "felt awful" to describe your emotional or physical state. For example, "After the accident, I "felt awful" for days," or "She "felt awful" about forgetting his birthday".