terrible sick

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "terrible sick" is not correct in standard written English.
It is likely intended to convey a strong sense of illness, but the correct expression would be "terribly sick." Example: "After catching the flu, I felt terribly sick for several days."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

They are a terrible sick joke.

Huffington Post

Yet most of what we talk about is the terrible, sick few.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

He regards it as a terrible burden, a sick, ailing child that he has to nurse; "[B]ut perhaps when it had grown up and become a PhD it might keep him in his old age".

Independent

The cubicles in the gents' should be reserved exclusively for local bands using stickers to promote their terrible Britpop music, sick and repulsive tribal latrinalia.

Vice

At the point, Robert's drug problem was terrible, he was a sick puppy, and I remember coming on the set and he had utterly absorbed the photograph.

The Guardian - Film

He insists that without a mandate, the law will result in a terrible spiral: only relatively sick Americans will choose to get insurance, leading premium prices to rise and causing the healthier of even those sick people to drop their insurance, sending prices higher and higher.

The New York Times

I smelled terrible and constantly felt sick.

Vice

He understands a parent's terrible fear for a sick child – Mr. Alam's own child suffered from diarrhoea just a few months ago.

Unicef

You must have a passionate love of your art, you will need complete dedication, a strong will, a charismatic personality, the drive to rehearse and perform no matter what, even if you're in terrible pain or really sick.

WikiHow

Obamacare also addressed the particular ways getting sick could be terrible for children, even those with insurance.

The New Yorker

She added: "We've had a terrible year, the horses were sick for a long time but they are coming back to themselves now".

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "terrible sick" in formal writing. Instead, opt for grammatically correct alternatives like "terribly sick" or "very ill" to maintain clarity and professionalism.

Common error

Many writers mistakenly use "terrible" instead of "terribly" to modify "sick". Remember that adverbs (like "terribly") modify adjectives (like "sick"), whereas adjectives modify nouns.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "terrible sick" functions as an adjectival phrase, attempting to describe a state of poor health. However, it is grammatically non-standard as per Ludwig AI, requiring correction to "terribly sick" for proper usage. The examples provided by Ludwig showcase its infrequent and often questionable usage.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Formal & Business

20%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "terrible sick" is grammatically incorrect. As Ludwig AI points out, the proper form is "terribly sick", where the adverb "terribly" modifies the adjective "sick". Although it appears in various contexts, including News & Media, Formal & Business, and Wiki sources, its usage is infrequent and non-standard. It's best to use grammatically correct alternatives such as "terribly ill" or "very sick" in formal writing to maintain clarity and credibility. The most common error is using the adjective "terrible" instead of the adverb "terribly" to modify "sick". Therefore, being mindful of correct adverb usage is crucial.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

terribly ill

Replaces "sick" with "ill" and uses the adverb "terribly" to correctly modify the adjective, indicating a high degree of illness.

very sick

Uses "very" as an intensifier, a more common and grammatically sound alternative.

seriously ill

Focuses on the severity of the illness, implying a grave medical condition.

gravely sick

Implies a severe and worrying degree of illness, suggesting significant concern.

dreadfully sick

Uses "dreadfully" to emphasize the unpleasantness and intensity of the sickness.

awfully sick

Emphasizes the severity of the sickness in a more informal tone.

extremely unwell

Uses a more formal term, "unwell", to describe the state of being sick.

badly affected

Shifts the focus to the impact of the illness rather than the illness itself.

suffering greatly

Highlights the suffering caused by the illness.

in terrible health

Focuses on the overall poor state of health.

FAQs

Is "terrible sick" grammatically correct?

No, "terrible sick" is not grammatically correct. The correct form is "terribly sick", where "terribly" is an adverb modifying the adjective "sick".

What are some alternatives to "terrible sick"?

You can use alternatives such as "terribly ill", "very sick", or "seriously ill" depending on the context.

What's the difference between "terrible sick" and "terribly sick"?

"Terrible sick" is grammatically incorrect because it uses an adjective to modify another adjective. "Terribly sick" is correct, as it uses the adverb "terribly" to modify the adjective "sick".

In what contexts might I encounter the phrase "terrible sick"?

While grammatically incorrect, you might encounter "terrible sick" in informal speech or writing. However, it's best to avoid using it in formal contexts. Opt for phrases like "awfully sick" or "dreadfully sick" if you want to convey the gravity of the situation, without failing to follow the standard English grammar.