horribly bad

USAGE SUMMARY

"horribly bad" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it when you want to emphasize how badly something may have gone. For example, "The weather was horribly bad, so we had to cancel the picnic."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

27 human-written examples

Theresa's dire situation can be explained just as easily by calling it horribly bad luck.

The New Yorker

"But when a policy goes horribly bad, the president gets the blame anyway".

The New York Times

If these gangs are not controlled now, things might turn horribly bad in future".

The Guardian

"The problem is that we 're playing horribly bad football," Wolfsburg defender Marco Russ put it succinctly.

The Guardian - Sport

Everyone's been counting the days till the winter holiday, but first comes the school concert, no less wonderful, every year, for being so horribly bad.

The New Yorker

Even those who do make it to work may not be as productive because of their new and horribly bad treks to work, said Robert Paaswell, director of the University Transportation Research Center at City College.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

33 human-written examples

What makes a president horribly, immortally bad?

The Washington Post

And if a W.N.B.A. player beats her chest as if trying to revive her own heartbeat, it's horribly unladylike, bad for their sport.

The New York Times - Sports

A whole range of products, from bonds to super senior tranches of CDOs exhibit this same property of yielding steady (if unspectacular) returns in good times, and then going quite horribly wrong in bad ones.

The Economist

A no good, very bad, horribly humid day.

HuffPost

In one week alone, Syria has gone from bad to horribly worse.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider the audience and context to ensure the phrase's intensity is appropriate, as it can sound dramatic.

Common error

Avoid using "horribly bad" in highly formal or academic writing, as it can come across as too informal or subjective. Opt for more neutral and precise language.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "horribly bad" functions as a compound adjective, modifying a noun to express a strong degree of negativity or poor quality. It intensifies the adjective "bad", indicating something is significantly worse than simply being bad. Ludwig AI confirms its proper usage.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Wiki

8%

Formal & Business

7%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "horribly bad" is a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase to express a strong negative sentiment. Ludwig AI confirms this, showing various real-world examples. While versatile, it is most frequently found in News & Media contexts and should be used cautiously in formal settings. Alternatives like "extremely awful" or "severely deficient" may be more suitable for formal writing. Therefore, understanding the context and intended audience is crucial when using this phrase.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

extremely awful

Emphasizes the extreme degree of awfulness.

terribly dreadful

Highlights the dreadfulness in a severe manner.

appallingly terrible

Stresses the shocking and appalling nature of how terrible something is.

atrociously poor

Focuses on the extremely poor quality or condition.

frightfully inadequate

Emphasizes the frightening extent of inadequacy.

woefully deficient

Highlights the sorrowful state of being deficient.

abominably substandard

Stresses the abominable level of being below standard.

dreadfully inferior

Emphasizes the dreadfully low level of inferiority.

exceptionally subpar

Highlights the exceptional level of being below par.

remarkably flawed

Focuses on the noticeable and significant flaws.

FAQs

How can I use "horribly bad" in a sentence?

You can use "horribly bad" to emphasize the severity of something negative. For example, "The traffic was horribly bad this morning" or "The food tasted horribly bad".

What's a more formal alternative to "horribly bad"?

If you need a more formal alternative, consider using phrases like "extremely poor", "exceptionally substandard", or "severely deficient". These alternatives avoid the strong emotional tone of "horribly bad".

Is "horribly bad" an appropriate phrase for all types of writing?

While "horribly bad" is acceptable in many contexts, it may not be suitable for formal or academic writing. It is best used in situations where a more expressive and less formal tone is appropriate.

Are there other phrases similar to "horribly bad" that I can use?

Yes, alternatives such as "extremely awful", "terribly dreadful", or "appallingly terrible" can convey a similar meaning.