moderately bad

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "moderately bad" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is not good, but not terrible either, indicating a middle ground in quality or performance. Example: "The movie was moderately bad; it had some entertaining moments, but overall it fell flat."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

52 human-written examples

Horrible conditions do not guarantee revolts, and moderately bad conditions do not necessarily thwart them.

The Economist

The title holds that any bit of only moderately bad news strikes the beaten-down speaker as relatively upbeat.

The New York Times - Magazine

We feel moderately bad about succumbing to this movie marketing, but it's a good tune, and Stereogum did first.

The Guardian - Music

This was a moderately bad idea militarily, but it was a disastrous idea for the government, which was left in Alexandra's hands.

The Guardian - Books

Such a system -- the Mercedes M-Class's is similar -- works well on moderately bad roads but is less practical in severe conditions where wheel spin is desirable.

The New York Times

The movies can't be moderately bad.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

8 human-written examples

One group got fat and developed the metabolic changes of pre-diabetes, but had only moderately elevated "bad" cholesterol levels.

HuffPost

Its workshop, full of severed heads and uncanny not-quite-human figures, would give a moderately sensitive person bad dreams.

The New York Times

The value of the situation that traffic flow always stops is the highest one (10.66) in the 9 congestion situations, with high share rate of respondents who suffered it more than once a week and feeling moderately or extremely bad.

Journal of Modern Transportation

If you indulge it, it proliferates; the moderately patient are besieged by bad-faith arguers.

The Guardian - Opinion

And at least it has a moderately credible plot engine; presumably Reddington will offer up a new bad guy to the feds every week.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing the severity of symptoms or conditions, use "moderately bad" to indicate a level of discomfort or impact that is noticeable but not extreme. For example, "The patient reported moderately bad pain in their lower back."

Common error

Avoid relying too heavily on "moderately bad" in formal reports or academic papers. Opt for more precise and descriptive language that specifies the nature and extent of the problem. Instead of 'the results were moderately bad', consider saying 'the results showed a significant decline in accuracy' or 'the performance was substantially below expectations'.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "moderately bad" functions as an adjective phrase, modifying a noun to indicate the degree to which something is not good. Ludwig AI shows it's commonly used to describe the severity of conditions, feelings, or quality of something. For example, "moderately bad symptoms" or "moderately bad idea."

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

61%

News & Media

37%

Wiki

2%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "moderately bad" is a common and grammatically sound way to describe something that is not good but not terrible. Ludwig AI confirms its frequent use across various contexts, particularly in science and news media. While generally neutral in register, it may be wise to use more precise language in highly formal settings. When aiming for similar expressions, consider alternatives such as "somewhat poor" or "fairly disappointing" to tailor the nuance of your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

somewhat poor

Indicates a slight decrease in quality compared to "moderately bad".

fairly disappointing

Emphasizes the failure to meet expectations, rather than a general assessment of badness.

relatively substandard

Highlights that something is below an expected level of quality.

slightly deficient

Focuses on a specific lack or shortcoming.

passably inadequate

Implies something barely meets the minimum requirements but is still not good.

somewhat unfavorable

Indicates a negative assessment or opinion.

reasonably inferior

Highlights the lower quality compared to something else.

kind of weak

Suggests a lack of strength or effectiveness.

not particularly good

A more indirect way of expressing a negative assessment.

plainly imperfect

Focuses on the existence of flaws or shortcomings.

FAQs

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

"Moderately bad" describes something that is not good but not terrible either. For instance, "The food was moderately bad, but the service was excellent."

What are some alternatives to "moderately bad"?

You can use alternatives like "somewhat poor", "fairly disappointing", or "relatively substandard" depending on the context.

What is the difference between "moderately bad" and "slightly bad"?

"Moderately bad" indicates a more significant level of negativity compared to "slightly bad". Something that is moderately bad has more pronounced flaws or shortcomings than something that is only slightly bad.

Is it appropriate to use "moderately bad" in formal writing?

While grammatically correct, "moderately bad" might be considered too informal for some formal contexts. In such cases, consider using more precise and professional alternatives like "somewhat unfavorable" or "reasonably inferior".