thoroughly awful

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "thoroughly awful" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is extremely bad or unpleasant in a strong manner. Example: "The movie was thoroughly awful, leaving the audience disappointed and frustrated."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

"But they're thoroughly awful.

The New Yorker

A thoroughly awful double-edged denouement then ensues.

The Guardian - Books

With consumer spending declining in Europe and America, retailers are bracing for a thoroughly awful Christmas.Shopkeepers are notorious Eeyores.

The Economist

This dragged on for some considerable time at great cost to ourselves and was finally resolved by a thoroughly awful compromise: we were permitted to install internal secondary glazing!

The Guardian - Tech

Second, I'm struck by the note of discovered joy in artmaking, never mind the direness of the subject, that may be typical of budding artists but would serve this one to an extreme degree, as an emotional tightrope over the abysses of a life that was otherwise pretty thoroughly awful.

The New Yorker

The paper's critic, Robbie Collin, said the acting was "heightened", and the script "thoroughly awful".

BBC

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

Mr. Pugach's creepy comment about his wife brings home just how thoroughly unfunny and awful his obsession was.

The New York Times

A country so thoroughly broken by the whole awful affair that it collapsed in political suicide less than two decades later?

Vice

You are especially likely to feel this pang of discomfort if your first child is potty-trained and your house has been thoroughly fumigated of all the awful smells that come with poopy diapers.

Huffington Post

Steam jets, flickering lights, distant screams, the sound of rending metal, flickers of movements and darkness pregnant with awful possibility had me thoroughly freaked out before I met my first alien.

The New York Times - Tech

Sometimes a single, awful event can stop and shake a nation so thoroughly that, years later, all its citizens can recall precisely where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "thoroughly awful" to express a strong negative opinion or assessment, making sure the context aligns with the intensity of the phrase. It's particularly effective when describing something that is not just bad, but remarkably so.

Common error

Avoid using "thoroughly awful" in overly casual or trivial situations, as its intensity can seem disproportionate. Reserve it for circumstances where the negativity is genuinely significant.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "thoroughly awful" functions as an adjectival phrase used to describe a noun. It modifies the noun by expressing a strong negative attribute. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness, showcasing its ability to intensify negative descriptions.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "thoroughly awful" is a grammatically sound adjectival phrase used to express strong disapproval. Ludwig AI validates its correct usage, and while it appears most frequently in News & Media, it's important to consider the context and intensity before using it. For less emphatic situations, consider alternatives like "utterly dreadful" or "completely terrible". Use "thoroughly awful" when you want to emphasize just how bad something truly is.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

utterly dreadful

Replaces "thoroughly" with "utterly" and "awful" with "dreadful", both intensifying the negative feeling.

completely terrible

Uses "completely" instead of "thoroughly" and "terrible" instead of "awful", providing a straightforward negative assessment.

absolutely atrocious

Substitutes "thoroughly" with "absolutely" and "awful" with "atrocious", highlighting the extreme unpleasantness.

truly horrendous

Replaces "thoroughly" with "truly" and "awful" with "horrendous", emphasizing the shocking and terrible nature.

exceptionally bad

Employs "exceptionally" to emphasize the degree of badness, offering a slightly more formal tone.

remarkably poor

Replaces "awful" with "poor" and intensifies it with "remarkably", softening the harshness slightly.

painfully bad

Emphasizes the negative experience caused by something being bad, adding a subjective element.

simply the worst

Offers a direct and unambiguous assessment of something being of the lowest quality.

decidedly unpleasant

Uses a more formal and understated tone to express strong disapproval or dislike.

woefully inadequate

Replaces "awful" with "inadequate" and intensifies it with "woefully", focusing on the deficiency or lack of quality.

FAQs

How can I use "thoroughly awful" in a sentence?

You can use "thoroughly awful" to describe something extremely unpleasant or bad. For example, "The movie was "thoroughly awful", with a nonsensical plot and terrible acting."

What are some alternatives to "thoroughly awful"?

Alternatives include "utterly dreadful", "completely terrible", or "absolutely atrocious". The best choice depends on the specific context and desired level of formality.

Is "thoroughly awful" too strong of a phrase to use in professional communication?

While "thoroughly awful" can be considered strong, it can be appropriate in professional communication when expressing serious dissatisfaction or concern, provided the tone remains respectful and constructive. Consider alternatives like "exceptionally bad" or "remarkably poor" for a slightly softer approach.

What's the difference between "awful" and "thoroughly awful"?

Adding "thoroughly" before "awful" intensifies the meaning. "Awful" simply means bad or unpleasant, while "thoroughly awful" indicates that something is extremely and completely bad.