terribly bad

USAGE SUMMARY

"terribly bad" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when describing something that is very bad or undesirable. For example: "She felt terribly bad about breaking her promise to her friend."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

It is terribly bad public policy.

The New York Times

I just feel terribly bad about that".

BBC

"The spring wasn't that terribly bad.

The Guardian

So far, not so terribly bad.

The New York Times

"These are terribly, terribly bad people.

The Washington Post

Nor is the injury terribly bad.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

And, inevitably, with some terribly bad ones.

The Guardian

"I don't think this is terribly bad news," he said.

The New York Times

It is neither terribly bad nor especially good.

The New York Times

There are a lot of people with terribly bad manners".

The New York Times - Magazine

"It's not terribly bad; it's just not right," Jerkens said.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing situations or events, use "terribly bad" to emphasize the severity of the negative impact. For instance: "The accident resulted in terribly bad consequences for the community."

Common error

While "terribly bad" is acceptable, avoid overusing it in formal writing. Opt for more precise and nuanced vocabulary to convey the severity of the situation. Alternatives like "disastrous", "catastrophic", or "dire" might be more appropriate in professional or academic settings.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "terribly bad" functions primarily as a descriptive phrase, modifying a noun to indicate a high degree of negativity or poor quality. As Ludwig highlights, this combination is commonly used to express dissatisfaction or severe disapproval.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "terribly bad" is a common expression used to describe something of very poor quality or with significantly negative consequences. Ludwig confirms its grammatical correctness and usability in written English. While its frequent use in news and media contexts indicates a neutral register, it's advisable to use more formal alternatives like "disastrous" or "catastrophic" in professional or academic settings. When aiming for variety, phrases like "extremely awful", "exceptionally poor", and "remarkably dreadful" can be considered.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

extremely awful

Synonymous replacement emphasizing the severity of the badness; uses 'extremely' instead of 'terribly' and 'awful' instead of 'bad'.

exceptionally poor

Emphasizes the substandard quality; replaces "bad" with "poor" and modifies it with "exceptionally".

remarkably dreadful

Highlights the strikingly unpleasant nature, using 'dreadful' for 'bad' and 'remarkably' for 'terribly'.

utterly horrendous

Conveys a sense of complete and frightening badness; substitutes "horrendous" for "bad" and uses "utterly" for emphasis.

dreadfully deficient

Highlights a severe lack of something positive or necessary; 'deficient' replaces 'bad', highlighting inadequacy.

incredibly substandard

Emphasizes that something fails to meet the required standard; replaces "bad" with "substandard" and enhances it with "incredibly".

horrifically inadequate

Stresses the unacceptably low quality or amount of something; substitutes "inadequate" for "bad" and intensifies with "horrifically".

abominably inferior

Indicates something is of very low quality compared to others; uses "inferior" instead of "bad", suggesting a marked decrease in quality.

frightfully disappointing

Emphasizes the feeling of sadness or displeasure caused by something not being as good as expected; replaces the concept of badness with disappointment.

woefully unacceptable

Highlights that something is completely not good enough; changes the focus to whether it meets a certain level of approval or not.

FAQs

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

Use "terribly bad" to describe something that is very unpleasant or of poor quality. For example: "The food at the restaurant was "terribly bad", and we couldn't finish our meals."

What are some alternatives to saying "terribly bad"?

You can use alternatives such as "extremely awful", "exceptionally poor", or "remarkably dreadful" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "terribly bad" a formal or informal expression?

"Terribly bad" is generally considered informal to neutral. In more formal contexts, consider using stronger, more precise adjectives such as "catastrophic" or "disastrous" to convey the same meaning.

What makes "terribly bad" different from "very bad"?

"Terribly bad" implies a greater degree of negativity or severity than "very bad". The use of "terribly" intensifies the adjective "bad", suggesting a more extreme or impactful situation.