that sounds bad

USAGE SUMMARY

"that sounds bad" is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it when you would like to express your disapproval or lack of approval of something. For example: He told me I can't take a day off work, and that sounds bad.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

47 human-written examples

"Something that sounds bad could turn out to be nothing," he said.

Los Angeles Times

LIVEBLOG OPERATIVE: Roundtable includes someone who i'd call a "CNBC whore" but since it's a woman that sounds bad.

Huffington Post

There's good news this week, and then there's news that sounds bad but is actually a lot better than what it could have been.

Huffington Post

Obviously you can't control what your opponents want to think about you when they are coming up with anything that sounds bad, even if they don't know what it means.

Huffington Post

That sounds bad.

Forbes

That sounds bad, doesn't it?

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

13 human-written examples

Or favorite places that sound bad but that I might actually want to visit?

The New Yorker

But when I hear it through, things that sounded bad for a long time sound bad only a few seconds.

The Guardian - Music

"Ooo, that sounded bad," he said, his eyes lighting up behind owlish eyeglasses.

The New York Times

Ewww, that sounded bad.

TechCrunch

While all of that sounded bad with the end of our sales year looming, it was about to get worse.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "that sounds bad" when you want to express a negative reaction or concern about something you've heard. It's suitable for both formal and informal contexts.

Common error

While "that sounds bad" is versatile, overuse can make your language sound repetitive. Vary your responses with synonyms like "that's concerning" or "that doesn't bode well" to maintain reader engagement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "that sounds bad" functions as an evaluative expression, conveying a negative assessment based on auditory information or a perceived situation. As Ludwig AI confirms, it expresses disapproval or concern.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Academia

15%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Science

3%

Wiki

2%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "that sounds bad" is a commonly used phrase to express concern or disapproval, as validated by Ludwig AI. It functions as an evaluative expression and is suitable for various contexts, primarily in News & Media. To avoid repetition, consider using alternatives like "that seems awful" or "that's concerning". Remember, context is key. While versatile, more formal scenarios might benefit from a more nuanced expression. Remember to use this phrase for expressing your disapproval.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

that seems awful

Replaces "sounds" with "seems" and "bad" with "awful", altering the sensory descriptor and severity.

that appears negative

Substitutes "sounds" with "appears" and "bad" with "negative", shifting from auditory impression to general assessment.

that seems problematic

Replaces "sounds" with "seems" and "bad" with "problematic", shifting from auditory impression to a judgement about issues it could cause.

that's concerning

Substitutes the auditory sense with a direct expression of worry, changing the emphasis.

that's worrisome

This word sounds more formal than bad, and it changes the tone of the sentence.

that's a cause for concern

This alternative changes the structure, and adds emphasis on it's worrying nature.

that rings alarm bells

Uses an idiomatic expression to suggest a warning sign, differing in figurative language.

that doesn't bode well

Replaces the direct assessment with a prediction of unfavorable outcomes, changing the focus.

that's unfortunate

Substitutes the negative assessment with an expression of bad luck, altering the emotional tone.

that's regrettable

Replaces the negative assessment with an expression of sorrow, altering the emotional tone.

FAQs

How can I use "that sounds bad" in a sentence?

Use "that sounds bad" to express concern or disapproval upon hearing something, for example, "He said the project is behind schedule, and "that sounds bad"".

What are some alternatives to "that sounds bad"?

You can use alternatives such as "that seems awful", "that's concerning", or "that doesn't bode well" depending on the context.

Is "that sounds bad" appropriate for formal writing?

While generally acceptable, "that sounds bad" leans towards informal. In formal writing, consider more nuanced alternatives like "that seems problematic" or "that's a cause for concern".

What's the difference between "that sounds bad" and "that is bad"?

"That sounds bad" implies a reaction to something heard, whereas "that is bad" is a direct statement of something being unfavorable. The former is subjective based on auditory information, the latter is an objective assessment.