highly flawed

USAGE SUMMARY

"highly flawed" is a correct and usable expression in written English.
It is often used to describe something with significant flaws or defects. For example: "The professor's argument was highly flawed and he was unable to convince the class of his point."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

Formal & Business

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Fryer's analysis is highly flawed, however.

Harvard University

Methodology used in compiling these lists appears highly flawed.

European Urology

The DfT's "predict and provide" approach to road planning is therefore highly flawed, she says.

The Guardian

Finally, claims that biofuels will allow aviation to expand indefinitely without causing damage are highly flawed.

The Guardian

I guess that's part of being a functioning if highly flawed human.

The New York Times

Second Life, and indeed much of virtual technology to date, remains highly flawed.

The New York Times - Magazine

Everyone else is not only highly flawed but also at least intermittently annoying.

The New York Times

"There's something about that highly flawed, messed-up female protagonist that people seem to like at the moment," she said.

The Guardian - Books

However, I take those claims with a huge pinch of salt, as the evidence against Megrahi is highly flawed.

The Guardian

"All of these teams are just so highly flawed," Palm said of the teams on the tournament's bubble.

The New York Times - Sports

This conclusion was highly flawed because by joining forces with the government to do business, they were by default involved in the politics of the government.

Stanford University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "highly flawed" to describe something that has significant and noticeable imperfections, but is not necessarily beyond repair or redemption. It's stronger than simply saying something is "flawed".

Common error

While "highly flawed" is a useful phrase, avoid overusing it, especially in a single piece of writing. Vary your language by using synonyms like "deeply flawed", "seriously defective", or other related terms to maintain reader engagement and precision.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "highly flawed" primarily functions as a descriptive adjective phrase. It modifies a noun, indicating that the noun possesses significant imperfections or defects. As confirmed by Ludwig, it is a correct and usable English expression used to denote considerable flaws.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

34%

Academia

16%

Science

13%

Less common in

Formal & Business

4%

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "highly flawed" is a versatile adjective phrase used to describe something with significant imperfections. Ludwig AI validates its grammatical correctness and common usage across diverse contexts, including academia, news, and science. While "highly flawed" is widely used, remember to diversify your language with synonyms to maintain clarity and engagement. As demonstrated by Ludwig's examples, this phrase serves to convey criticism or highlight deficiencies, indicating a need for improvement or correction.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

deeply flawed

Emphasizes the extent and depth of the flaws.

seriously defective

Focuses on the presence of defects that compromise functionality or quality.

critically imperfect

Highlights the severity of the imperfections, suggesting a major impact.

substantially deficient

Points out significant shortcomings or inadequacies.

fundamentally unsound

Suggests that the core principles or foundations are flawed.

badly compromised

Indicates a significant negative impact on integrity or effectiveness.

gravely impaired

Emphasizes the serious reduction in quality or capability due to flaws.

significantly imperfect

Highlights the importance or noteworthiness of the flaws.

majorly wanting

Suggests that key elements or qualities are missing or insufficient.

largely inadequate

Focuses on the insufficiency or unsuitability of something due to flaws.

FAQs

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

You can use "highly flawed" to describe systems, arguments, or even characters that have significant imperfections. For example: "The study's methodology was "highly flawed", leading to unreliable results."

What can I say instead of "highly flawed"?

You can use alternatives like "deeply flawed", "seriously defective", or "critically imperfect" depending on the context.

Is it better to say "highly flawed" or "slightly flawed"?

The choice depends on the severity of the flaws. "Highly flawed" suggests significant and impactful imperfections, while "slightly flawed" indicates minor, less critical issues.

What makes something "highly flawed"?

Something is ""highly flawed"" when its imperfections are numerous, significant, and have a noticeable negative impact on its effectiveness, quality, or outcome. It suggests that the flaws are more than superficial.