it was awful

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it was awful" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to express a negative opinion or experience regarding something that has occurred in the past. Example: "The movie we watched last night was awful; I couldn't wait for it to end."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

37 human-written examples

Eccchhh, it was awful.

The New Yorker

No, it was awful.

The New Yorker

"Yeah, it was awful.

The New Yorker

Nonetheless, it was awful.

The New York Times - Books

Tee-hee!' It was awful.

The New Yorker

"It was awful," Nadin says.

The New York Times - Magazine

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

23 human-written examples

Sometimes it's awful.

The New York Times - Arts

It's awful long.

The New Yorker

It's awful here.

The New Yorker

It's awful now.

The New York Times

It's awful defending.

The Telegraph

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "it was awful" to express strong disapproval or disappointment in a situation, event, or object. Ensure the context clearly indicates what "it" refers to.

Common error

Avoid relying on "it was awful" repeatedly in your writing. Vary your language by using more descriptive and nuanced adjectives to convey the specific nature of your dissatisfaction, such as "it was dreadful", "it was appalling", or "it was atrocious".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it was awful" primarily functions as a statement expressing a negative evaluation or judgment about a past experience or event. It is used to convey strong disapproval or dissatisfaction. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and common usage.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Academia

18%

Science

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "it was awful" is a common and grammatically sound phrase used to express strong negative opinions or experiences. Ludwig AI confirms this, showing numerous examples from varied sources. While versatile, it's important to consider the context and audience, opting for more formal alternatives in professional or academic settings. For example, more appropriate alternatives would be it was terrible, it was dreadful, or it was horrible depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it was terrible

Changes the adjective to "terrible", offering a direct synonym.

it was dreadful

Substitutes "awful" with "dreadful", implying a sense of fear or dismay in addition to dislike.

it was horrible

Replaces "awful" with "horrible", suggesting something shocking or offensive.

it was appalling

Uses "appalling" instead of "awful", indicating something shocking and deeply unpleasant.

it was atrocious

Employs "atrocious" as a substitute, denoting something extremely wicked or brutal.

it was unpleasant

Replaces "awful" with "unpleasant", softening the negative sentiment.

it was unsatisfactory

Changes the phrasing to "unsatisfactory", focusing on the lack of fulfillment or quality.

it was not good

Offers a simple and direct alternative, emphasizing the lack of positive qualities.

it was the worst

Emphasizes the superlative degree of negativity.

i hated it

Shifts the perspective to a personal feeling of dislike.

FAQs

What can I say instead of "it was awful"?

You can use alternatives like "it was terrible", "it was dreadful", or "it was horrible" depending on the context.

Is "it was awful" too informal for academic writing?

While "it was awful" is generally acceptable, consider using more formal alternatives like "it was unsatisfactory" or "it was subpar" in academic contexts to maintain a professional tone.

How to use "it was awful" in a sentence?

You can use "it was awful" to describe a past experience you found highly unpleasant. For example, "The food at the restaurant was awful; I couldn't finish my meal."

What's the difference between "it was awful" and "it was bad"?

"It was awful" expresses a stronger degree of negativity than "it was bad". "Awful" suggests something is extremely unpleasant or offensive, while "bad" is a more general term for something undesirable.