poorly passing

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "poorly passing" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe someone or something that is not successfully meeting a standard or expectation, often in a context related to performance or evaluation. Example: "Despite her efforts, her exam results were poorly passing, indicating that she needed to study harder for the next attempt."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The following season in 1963 64, O'Neill started poorly, passing 12 only once in his first six innings.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

If information is poorly packaged and poorly passed on, they will misrepresent the evidence.

BMC Health Services Research

However, passing poorly conceived bills that limit Americans' freedoms and place an iron curtain between farmers and consumers is certain to backfire, only drawing more attention to agricultural practices that occur in rural America on otherwise sleepy, poorly traveled roads.

Huffington Post

48 mins: Tasty play by Fulham, right up until Zamora pushed over a defender in a desperate attempt to reach Davies's poorly aimed pass.

The Guardian - Sport

Even national legislatures regularly pass poorly drafted laws which later have to be revised.

The Economist

The team passed poorly and threatened too sporadically, with some fans chanting "We want our money back" before Kepa scored.

The Guardian - Sport

We slipped about the pitch and passed poorly but I didn't see that happening to Barry Ferguson".

The Guardian - Sport

"Are you going to be the one to tear him down or to build him up?" Manning, who was unshaven and looked tired Monday, passed poorly Sunday.

The New York Times - Sports

The effluent of the poorly treated wastewater passes through the study area before entering HD.

Applied Water Science

The problem, of course, is that the new law -- usually poorly written and passed in a fit of hysteria -- is too late to apply to the case it was designed for.

Huffington Post

They are easily degraded by enzymes and pass poorly through biological barriers because of deficient diffusivity and low partition coefficient [ 3– 6].

BioMed Research International

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider using synonyms like "barely passing" or "failing" to convey a similar meaning with potentially greater clarity, as "poorly passing" might be less common and risk sounding awkward.

Common error

Avoid using "poorly passing" when a simpler, more direct phrase like "failing" or "not meeting expectations" would suffice. Overusing this construction can make your writing sound unnecessarily complex.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "poorly passing" functions as an adjective-verb combination, modifying a noun to describe the manner in which something is passing. This suggests a state of barely meeting a requirement or standard. Ludwig AI confirms its usability.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

32%

Science

30%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

8%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "poorly passing" is a grammatically sound but infrequent way to describe something that barely meets a standard or expectation. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is a usable phrase. While grammatically correct, it may be less common than alternatives like "barely passing" or "failing". Its usage spans news, science, and general contexts, suggesting a neutral to formal register. When using "poorly passing", ensure clarity by explicitly stating the object or standard it refers to. Consider more common synonyms to enhance clarity and avoid potential awkwardness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

barely passing

Focuses on the narrow margin of success, emphasizing minimal achievement.

failing considerably

Emphasizes the significant degree of failure or inadequacy.

performing inadequately

Highlights the lack of sufficient performance or quality.

doing poorly

A more general way to express a lack of success or competence.

not succeeding well

Emphasizes the limited degree of success achieved.

inadequately succeeding

Highlights that the subject succeeds but in an insufficient way.

substandard performance

Shifts the focus to the level of performance being below expectations.

deficient performance

Focuses on a lack or shortage in the quality of the subject's performance.

unsuccessfully passing

Implies that passing was the goal but that it was not achieved well.

passing deficiently

Emphasizes the lack of desired traits or the failure to satisfy certain requirements.

FAQs

What does "poorly passing" mean?

"Poorly passing" describes something that is technically passing or succeeding, but only just barely, or with significant deficiencies.

How can I use "poorly passing" in a sentence?

You might say "The student was "barely passing" the test, indicating they needed more study time".

Are there alternatives to saying "poorly passing"?

Yes, you can use phrases like "barely passing", "performing inadequately", or "doing poorly" depending on the specific meaning you want to convey.

Is "poorly passing" grammatically correct?

Yes, "poorly passing" is grammatically correct, although less common than other similar phrases. According to Ludwig AI, it is a usable expression in English.