felt very bad

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "felt very bad" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express a strong sense of regret, guilt, or sadness about a situation or action. Example: "After realizing the impact of my words, I felt very bad for hurting her feelings."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

50 human-written examples

"I felt very bad," he said.

The New York Times - Sports

So I felt very bad for them.

The New Yorker

"I felt very bad for him personally.

The New York Times

"How did that make you feel?" "I felt very bad.

The New Yorker

I felt very bad that people were talking that way".

The New Yorker

"I felt very bad that she wasn't allowed to study.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

6 human-written examples

"I feel very bad for the Yankees.

The New York Times - Sports

"He feels very bad about this.

The Guardian

I feel very bad about that".

The New Yorker

"I feel very bad," he said.

The New York Times

It makes me feel very bad".

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid overusing "felt very bad" in formal writing. Opt for stronger, more descriptive verbs to enhance clarity and impact.

Common error

Don't rely on "felt very bad" in professional communications, such as reports or cover letters. Instead, replace it with stronger, more precise language to demonstrate professionalism and clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "felt very bad" functions as a subjective expression of emotion, indicating a negative feeling experienced by the subject. Ludwig AI validates this usage through numerous examples where individuals describe their personal feelings of regret, guilt, or sadness.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

48%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "felt very bad" is a grammatically sound and widely used expression to convey negative emotions such as regret, sadness, or guilt. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and prevalence across diverse contexts, particularly in News & Media and Science. While versatile, it's essential to consider context and choose more specific alternatives like "remorseful" or "guilty" for enhanced clarity, especially in formal writing. Ludwig AI provides a range of examples demonstrating its usage, solidifying its place as a common and acceptable phrase in the English language.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

felt extremely bad

Adds emphasis to the feeling of being bad.

felt awful

Uses a different adjective to describe a negative feeling.

felt terrible

Another adjective indicating a strong negative feeling.

felt really bad

Emphasizes the feeling with "really" instead of "very".

felt remorseful

Indicates a feeling of deep regret or guilt.

felt guilty

Specifically indicates a feeling of guilt.

felt ashamed

Indicates a feeling of shame.

felt distressed

Indicates a feeling of anxiety and sorrow.

felt regretful

Indicates a feeling of regret.

felt disheartened

Expresses disappointment and loss of enthusiasm.

FAQs

How can I use "felt very bad" in a sentence?

You can use "felt very bad" to express regret, sadness, or guilt about something. For example, "I "felt very bad" about forgetting her birthday."

What are some alternatives to "felt very bad"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "felt remorseful", "felt guilty", or "felt terrible".

Is it correct to say "I felt badly" instead of "I felt very bad"?

While "badly" is an adverb, it's generally incorrect to use it after the verb "felt" when describing an emotion. "Felt" in this context requires an adjective like "bad". Saying "I "felt bad"" or "I "felt very bad"" is the correct usage.

What's the difference between "felt very bad" and "felt sorry"?

"Felt very bad" is a more general expression of negative emotion, while "felt sorry" often implies empathy or pity for someone else. You might say "I "felt very bad" about the situation", but "I "felt sorry" for her" indicates compassion.