going desperately well

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "going desperately well" is not correct in standard written English.
It may be intended to convey a sense of urgency or intensity, but the combination of "desperately" with "well" creates a contradiction that is confusing. Example: "Despite the challenges, the project is going desperately well, exceeding all expectations."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

So they are trying to reconstruct the economy but it's not going desperately well and growth is now around 7%.

BBC

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

She added: "Something went desperately wrong".

Huffington Post

They mean desperately well.

The New Yorker

#alien going very well.

Los Angeles Times

The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw called it "desperately well-meaning" in his two-star review.

The Guardian - Film

None is going well.

The New York Times

Not going well.

The New York Times

Things were going well.

The New Yorker

It's going well.

The Economist

School was going well.

The New Yorker

Everything is going well.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming to describe something progressing exceptionally well, replace the phrase "going desperately well" with grammatically sound alternatives like "going exceptionally well" or "proceeding remarkably well".

Common error

Avoid combining adverbs like "desperately", which often implies a negative urgency or anxiety, with positive terms like "well". This creates a contradictory and confusing message. Choose adverbs that align with the intended positive meaning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "going desperately well" functions as an adverbial phrase attempting to modify the verb "going". However, Ludwig AI identifies it as grammatically questionable due to the conflicting connotations of "desperately" and "well".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "going desperately well" is an uncommon and grammatically questionable expression. Ludwig AI points out the conflicting connotations of "desperately" and "well", making it potentially confusing for readers. While the intent might be to emphasize exceptional positive progress, it is advisable to use clearer, more grammatically sound alternatives such as "going exceptionally well" or "progressing remarkably well". Predominantly found in News & Media sources, it's crucial to consider the context and audience, opting for grammatically correct alternatives in formal writing to avoid miscommunication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

proceeding exceptionally well

Replaces "desperately" with "exceptionally" to strengthen the positive connotation and improve grammatical correctness.

progressing remarkably well

Uses "remarkably" instead of "desperately" for a more standard and positive phrasing.

developing outstandingly well

Substitutes "desperately" with "outstandingly" for a grammatically sound and positive sentiment.

advancing extraordinarily well

Changes "desperately" to "extraordinarily" to maintain a strong positive connotation without grammatical issues.

faring extremely well

Replaces the verb "going" with "faring" and "desperately" with "extremely" for a similar but grammatically correct meaning.

flourishing impressively

Modifies the phrase to focus on "flourishing" and uses "impressively" to convey the intensity, avoiding grammatical issues.

succeeding spectacularly

Emphasizes success with "spectacularly," offering a grammatically correct alternative.

thriving vigorously

Uses "thriving" to indicate positive progress and "vigorously" to show intensity, correcting grammatical problems.

excelling magnificently

Focuses on "excelling" and uses "magnificently" to express strong positive progress in a grammatically acceptable way.

performing superbly

Replaces the original phrase with "performing superbly" to convey excellent progress without grammatical errors.

FAQs

What does "going desperately well" mean?

The phrase "going desperately well" is an uncommon expression that attempts to combine the urgency of "desperately" with the positive outcome of "well". While it might be used to emphasize the extent of positive progress, it's not grammatically standard and could be confusing.

What can I say instead of "going desperately well"?

You can use alternatives like "proceeding exceptionally well", "progressing remarkably well", or "developing outstandingly well" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "going desperately well"?

According to Ludwig AI, the phrase "going desperately well" is not correct in standard written English. It's better to opt for clearer, grammatically sound alternatives.

How can I use "desperately" correctly in a sentence?

Use "desperately" to express a sense of urgency, need, or anxiety. For example, "He was "desperately seeking" a solution" or "She "desperately needed" help."