it seems dreadful

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it seems dreadful" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when expressing a negative opinion or feeling about a situation or event that appears to be very bad or unpleasant. Example: "After hearing the news about the disaster, it seems dreadful to think about the impact on the community."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

It seems dreadful there's only 13 of us".

The Guardian - Books

It seems dreadful there's only 13 of us" October 10 , 201312.32pm BST Since then she's been showered in awards, including the International Booker in 2009, which called her work "practically perfect".

The Guardian - Books

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

It seemed dreadful stuff enough to harm one's soul.

The New Yorker

On the page, the sentiment seems dreadful; on the stage, detachment played better.

The New Yorker

And when you think there are so many people in a worse situation than me, it seems a dreadful state of affairs," she said.

The Guardian - Business

As a pathfinder in her field, and one who broke down one of the major male bastions in the game, it seems a dreadful waste that Carneiro's promising career at Chelsea has gone up in smoke over such a piffling incident.

Independent

It seems a dreadful irony.

BBC

The idea might seem dreadful in concept.

The New York Times - Arts

"I think the message that I'd like to give to the family is that, although things might seem dreadful and hopeless at the moment, in both of the incidents that I was involved in, I was released and also the Royal Irish soldiers were released safely as well," he said.

BBC

It seems such a dreadful, senseless waste".

Independent

The good news, however, is that the health-care paperwork deluge need not be the dreadful terror it seems.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "it seems dreadful" to express a strong negative reaction or assessment based on available information. It's effective for conveying disapproval or concern.

Common error

While acceptable, "it seems dreadful" might be too informal for very formal or academic writing. Consider using more precise or sophisticated vocabulary to convey the same sentiment in those settings.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it seems dreadful" functions as an evaluative expression, used to convey a negative assessment or opinion about a particular situation or event. According to Ludwig AI, it's grammatically correct and usable in English.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "it seems dreadful" is a grammatically correct phrase used to express a negative sentiment or assessment. Ludwig AI affirms its validity and usability in English writing. Predominantly found in news and media contexts, the phrase serves to convey disapproval or concern. While generally acceptable, be mindful of the context; more formal settings might benefit from using more sophisticated vocabulary. Consider alternatives such as "it appears awful" or "it feels terrible" to diversify your expression.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it appears awful

Changes 'seems' to 'appears' and 'dreadful' to 'awful', maintaining the negative connotation.

it feels terrible

Substitutes 'seems' with 'feels' and 'dreadful' with 'terrible', shifting the focus to a feeling-based assessment.

it looks grim

Replaces the phrase with a more concise expression using 'grim' to convey a bleak outlook.

it strikes me as awful

Adds 'strikes me as' for emphasis and uses 'awful' instead of 'dreadful'.

it comes across as terrible

Uses 'comes across as' to indicate an impression and 'terrible' to describe the quality.

it gives a bad impression

Focuses on the negative impression created.

it presents a bleak picture

Emphasizes the bleakness of the situation.

it suggests something awful

Indicates that the situation implies something negative.

it would appear to be terrible

Adds formality with 'it would appear' and uses 'terrible'.

the situation looks dire

Rephrases to focus on the dire nature of the situation itself.

FAQs

What does "it seems dreadful" mean?

The phrase "it seems dreadful" expresses a strong negative impression or feeling about something, indicating it appears to be very bad or unpleasant.

What can I say instead of "it seems dreadful"?

You can use alternatives like "it appears awful", "it feels terrible", or "it looks grim" depending on the context.

Is "it seems dreadful" too informal for formal writing?

While grammatically correct, "it seems dreadful" can be perceived as somewhat informal. For formal writing, consider more sophisticated alternatives such as "it appears to be quite unfortunate" or "the situation presents a bleak outlook".

How can I use "it seems dreadful" in a sentence?

You can use "it seems dreadful" to express your negative opinion about something: "After hearing the news about the factory closure, "it seems dreadful" to think about the impact on the community".