hideous experience

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "hideous experience" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe an extremely unpleasant or shocking event that someone has gone through. Example: "The haunted house was a hideous experience that left me terrified for days."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

"I was making the Talking Heads movie while going through this hideous experience," he said.

The New York Times

"Overall, it's been a creatively satisfying, if physically hideous experience," Mr. Straczynski commented.

The New York Times

After reading these books my first thought was, "Nobody should have to go through this kind of hideous experience ever again".

Huffington Post

Although not as common as a bridal freak-out, when it happens, it's a hideous experience for everybody working for that wedding.

Huffington Post

The obstetrician was like 'Oh my God you're 40, send thee to an IVF doctor' and as a result I spent most of last year going through a kind of a hideous experience (Carole, 42yrs).

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

But there were also some hideous experiences.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Following some hideous experiences, I have learned a thing or two about spotting dysfunctional organisations.

The Guardian

It needs to change, and thanks to my own hideous experiences, I have a few solutions to the problem.

Independent

I suspect it's because when I was growing up in Manchester I had such hideous experiences at the hands of white hairdressers who didn't have a clue what to do with my afro.

The Guardian - Money

Getting fired is almost always a hideous, traumatic experience.

Forbes

He contracted influenza, and spent two weeks in the public ward of a hospital in Paris, in hideous circumstances — an experience he wrote about in "How the Poor Die".

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "hideous experience" to describe events that are not only unpleasant but also deeply shocking, repulsive, or disturbing. Consider the intensity of the negative feeling you want to convey.

Common error

Avoid using "hideous experience" for minor inconveniences or slightly unpleasant events. Reserve it for situations that genuinely evoke strong feelings of disgust, horror, or revulsion. Using it too broadly dilutes its impact.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "hideous experience" functions as a noun phrase, where the adjective "hideous" modifies the noun "experience". It describes a particular type of event or situation characterized by its extremely unpleasant and shocking nature, as seen in examples provided by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

80%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "hideous experience" is a grammatically correct and usable expression to describe an extremely unpleasant or shocking event. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is often used to convey a strong negative emotional response. While not very frequent, its presence in reliable news and media sources, along with some scientific publications, suggests that is appropriate for conveying strong negativity. Be mindful of the intensity you want to convey when selecting this phrase, as there are many alternatives, like "horrific ordeal" or "traumatic event", each with subtly different connotations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

horrific ordeal

Replaces "hideous" with "horrific" and "experience" with "ordeal", both conveying intense suffering.

terrible trial

Substitutes "hideous" with "terrible" and "experience" with "trial", highlighting the difficulty and unpleasantness.

awful episode

Replaces "hideous" with "awful" and "experience" with "episode", indicating a particularly bad event.

gruesome event

Uses "gruesome" to emphasize the repulsiveness of the event.

dreadful situation

Focuses on the overall negativity and unpleasantness of the circumstances.

nightmarish encounter

Emphasizes the frightening and disturbing nature of the event.

traumatic event

Highlights the deeply distressing and emotionally damaging aspect of the experience.

unpleasant incident

A more neutral phrasing to describe a negative experience.

painful episode

Focuses on the suffering and distress caused by the experience.

ghastly affair

Uses "ghastly" to emphasize the shocking and appalling nature of the experience.

FAQs

How can I use "hideous experience" in a sentence?

You can use "hideous experience" to describe an extremely unpleasant and shocking event. For example: "The war was a "hideous experience" for many refugees".

What's a less intense alternative to "hideous experience"?

If you want to describe something unpleasant but not extremely shocking, consider using terms like "unpleasant experience", "negative experience", or "difficult time".

Is "hideous experience" a formal or informal phrase?

"Hideous experience" can be used in both formal and informal contexts, but it's generally more appropriate when you want to express a strong emotional reaction to something.

What kind of events typically qualify as a "hideous experience"?

Events that are extremely unpleasant, shocking, or disturbing can be described as a ""hideous experience"". Examples could include surviving a natural disaster, witnessing a violent crime, or undergoing a particularly traumatic medical procedure.