horribly

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "horribly" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something done in a very bad or unpleasant manner. Example: "The movie was horribly boring, and I struggled to stay awake throughout the entire film."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"You do feel like things are on the edge of something going horribly wrong when you've got people piling up at the entrance and cars coming with corpses in the back and driving off with them before you've got a chance to test the corpse or isolate it," he says.

The Guardian

The fact that it all went so horribly wrong, a rare victory for the anti-realpolitik school, and amid so much suffering, has encouraged them to preach the non-interventionist gospel (western intervention, that is), with unhappy results for a lot of Syrians.

The Guardian

Countries such as Nigeria have suffered horribly from a terror based on religious extremism that is alien to their society.

The Guardian - Opinion

Shane Watson was unable to hide Australia's glee at a rare selection gamble by England that backfired horribly on the first day of the fifth Ashes Test.

The Guardian - Sport

Are you so horribly spoilt that you don't even know your few slaves, or such a fat cat that you own more slaves than you can possibly remember?" The problem, for Seneca, is not that owning slaves is bad for the slaves, or that the rich man's wealth might be better spent feeding the hungry than buying another ivory-legged table.

The Guardian - Books

His death is a personal tragedy for family and friends, but even for those who never met him nor sympathised with his politics, there is something horribly poignant about a talent wasted.

The Guardian - Opinion

The relationship began dissolving horribly and culminated in Van Gogh slicing off part of his ear.

The Guardian - Arts

The maths are still not horribly unfavourable but Ireland's gut feeling must be of crushing disappointment.

The Guardian - Sport

An attempted reverse sweep goes horribly wrong and she's trapped lbw.

The Guardian - Sport

With no training as an astronaut, she manages to get a job as a "mission specialist" on a space station – and things soon go horribly wrong.

The Guardian - Film

On the face of it, Kieran Gibbs's sending-off for a handball committed by his team-mate Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain after 16 minutes of Chelsea's 6-0 victory at Stamford Bridge looks like a perfect storm of horribly nuanced refereeing ineptitude.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "horribly" to emphasize the negative quality or outcome of an event or action, adding emotional weight to your description. For instance, "The plan went "horribly" wrong, leading to significant losses."

Common error

Avoid using "horribly" in formal academic or business writing where a more neutral or precise term like "significantly", "severely", or "poorly" might be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "horribly" is to serve as an adverb, modifying verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to intensify the negative quality or undesirable nature of the action or state. This is supported by Ludwig AI's confirmation of its correctness and usability.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

"Horribly" functions as an adverb to intensify negative qualities or outcomes, as confirmed by Ludwig. It's grammatically sound and widely used, especially in news and media. While versatile, it's advisable to use it carefully in formal contexts where more precise language might be favored. Alternatives like "terribly" or "awfully" can provide similar emphasis with slight nuances. Understanding its function and register ensures effective and contextually appropriate use, aligning with Ludwig's detailed analysis and examples.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

terribly

A common synonym that emphasizes the severity or unpleasantness of something.

awfully

Indicates a very bad or unpleasant quality, similar to "horribly" but potentially milder.

dreadfully

Emphasizes the causing of great fear or suffering.

frightfully

Highlights the alarming or shocking nature of something.

appallingly

Stresses the shocking and unacceptable nature of something.

atrociously

Implies extreme wickedness or cruelty in the way something is done.

deplorably

Highlights the deserving of strong condemnation or disapproval.

egregiously

Points out something outstandingly bad or shocking.

lamentably

Expresses sorrow or regret about something.

abominably

Suggests extreme dislike or disgust.

FAQs

How can I use "horribly" in a sentence?

"Horribly" is an adverb that modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. For example, "The play was "horribly" written", "She was "horribly" mistaken", or "He sang "horribly" off-key".

What can I say instead of "horribly"?

You can use alternatives like "terribly", "awfully", or "dreadfully" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Which is correct, "horribly" or "terrible"?

"Horribly" is an adverb, while "terrible" is an adjective. Use "horribly" to modify a verb, adjective, or adverb, and "terrible" to describe a noun. For example, "The movie was "horribly" directed" versus "The movie was terrible".

What's the difference between "horribly" and "frightfully"?

Both "horribly" and "frightfully" suggest something negative, but "frightfully" often implies something that is alarming or shocking, while "horribly" simply indicates something very bad or unpleasant.