highly disappointing

USAGE SUMMARY

"highly disappointing" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe something that was particularly displeasing or causing deep disappointment. Example sentence: The results of the project were highly disappointing, and we will need to reassess our strategy.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

31 human-written examples

It's highly disappointing.

The New York Times

Initial trials of Viagra in women proved highly disappointing.

The New York Times - Science

"Increases in Islamophobia and antisemitism are highly disappointing.

The Guardian

The change, Kia reasoned, should give the Sorento sharper handling and a better ride — but I found the ride highly disappointing.

The New York Times

"The destructive actions and needless violence demonstrated by a minority of people last night in Vancouver is highly disappointing to us all," the message continued.

The New York Times - Sports

Mara found the post "highly disappointing" and The Wrap estimated that it might have cost Fox somewhere between $5 million and $10 million in ticket sales.

Independent

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

28 human-written examples

Extremely disappointing.

The New Yorker

The Mets had discussed the possibility of trading shortstop Rey Ordóñez to the Baltimore Orioles for pitcher Scott Erickson, a move that would have relocated two highly paid but disappointing players.

The New York Times - Sports

Rotherham United manager Steve Evans tells BBC Radio Sheffield: "We're highly delighted, the disappointing thing was at half time to go in at 1-1. "I said to the boys that I was disappointed with the quality in the final third and we had to work a little bit harder.

BBC

Even with a certain amount of self-awareness, it can be a highly frustrating and disappointing experience.

Huffington Post

Because of highly aggressive characteristic, disappointing surgical resection and chemo-radiotherapies, and poor prognosis of the patients with GBC, novel adjuvant therapies or anticancer agents are clearly needed to treat this disease [ 1- 12].

BMC Cancer

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "highly disappointing" to describe situations or results that fell significantly short of expectations, causing considerable dissatisfaction. It's suitable for both formal reports and less formal discussions, but always consider your audience.

Common error

Avoid using "highly disappointing" as a generic negative descriptor. While versatile, it can lose its impact if overused. Instead, opt for more specific and descriptive language that accurately reflects the nature and cause of the disappointment. For instance, instead of saying "the presentation was highly disappointing", you might say "the presentation lacked specific data points" or "the presentation failed to address key concerns".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "highly disappointing" functions as a descriptive adjective modifying a noun, describing the degree to which something has failed to meet expectations. It's used to express a strong feeling of dissatisfaction. As Ludwig AI explains, the phrase indicates something caused deep disappointment.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

43%

Science

28%

Wiki

9%

Less common in

Formal & Business

9%

Encyclopedias

1%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "highly disappointing" is a grammatically sound phrase used to express a significant degree of dissatisfaction. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability. It is commonly found in News & Media and Scientific contexts, suggesting a neutral register. While a versatile term, it's important to avoid overuse and consider more specific language to accurately convey the nature of the disappointment. Alternatives like "deeply unsatisfactory" or "profoundly disillusioning" can provide nuances depending on the context. Remember to use it judiciously to maintain clarity and impact in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

deeply unsatisfactory

Replaces "disappointing" with a synonym and uses "deeply" instead of "highly" to intensify the feeling.

profoundly disillusioning

Emphasizes the feeling of being let down to a great degree, replacing both "highly" and "disappointing" with stronger terms.

extremely underwhelming

Uses a more casual and understated term ("underwhelming") to express disappointment, while retaining a high degree of similarity in meaning.

bitterly frustrating

Shifts the focus to the frustration caused by the disappointment, adding an element of annoyance to the sentiment.

thoroughly discouraging

Emphasizes the dispiriting nature of the disappointment, using a synonym for "disappointing" and "thoroughly" instead of "highly".

sorely let down

Uses a phrasal verb to express the disappointment, shifting the perspective to the person feeling let down.

remarkably inadequate

Focuses on the inadequacy of something rather than the feeling of disappointment, using a different adjective to convey a similar sentiment.

considerably subpar

Indicates that something fell significantly below expectations, using a business-oriented term.

quite unsatisfactory

A more formal way to express that something did not meet expectations, less intense than "highly disappointing".

a major letdown

Uses a noun phrase to describe the disappointing event or outcome.

FAQs

How can I use "highly disappointing" in a sentence?

"Highly disappointing" is used to describe something that has not met expectations in a significant way, causing disappointment. For example: "The sales figures for this quarter were "highly disappointing"" or "The quality of the service was "highly disappointing"."

What are some alternatives to "highly disappointing"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "deeply unsatisfactory", "extremely underwhelming", or "bitterly frustrating" to express a similar sentiment.

Is it appropriate to use "highly disappointing" in a formal setting?

Yes, "highly disappointing" is generally appropriate for formal settings, but consider your audience and the specific context. If you need to express a strong negative sentiment, it's suitable. However, in some cases, more neutral alternatives like "quite unsatisfactory" might be preferable.

What makes something "highly disappointing" as opposed to just "disappointing"?

The addition of "highly" intensifies the degree of disappointment. Something that is "highly disappointing" falls significantly short of expectations and causes a more profound feeling of dissatisfaction than something that is merely "disappointing".