totally terrible

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "totally terrible" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to emphasize the extent of something being bad or unpleasant. Example: "The movie was totally terrible; I couldn't even sit through the whole thing."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

In some respects, it's not a totally terrible plan, but what's amazing watching it back is just how terribly they pulled it off.

Vice

Totally terrible".

The Guardian

The new product you so proudly hail may not be totally terrible, but it is totally not a bagel.

The New York Times

"So I keep asking him, 'But how is it?' And he goes, 'It's interesting.' So I go over there and we go out and it's just totally terrible.

The New Yorker

They believe she will survive the year and enter college as a freshman when she is 14. "I know this entire year is going to be totally terrible," Vanessa said.

The New York Times

Having tools to keep you from getting nailed for absent-mindedly going 5 miles over the limit is one thing — having them so you can blast around at 95 on a busy freeway is totally different (and totally terrible).

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

Which is a totally frightening thing, because I am terrible, but also so, so important and delightful.

The Guardian - Books

In Mesa, when Trump told O'Reilly that Charles Krauthammer, the well-known (to conservatives) columnist and Fox News commentator, was "a totally biased terrible guy," a puzzled supporter in the crowd asked a friend, "Who is that?

The New Yorker

Castro says that the Senate's bill has to pass the Senate with "strong momentum" and that the House is not likely to do anything original with the bill, because they are totally dysfunctional and terrible.

Huffington Post

The survey's focus groups agreed that the "Labour Party was in a terrible state ("totally ineffectual", "total confusion")".

Vice

"The speculation is totally unnecessary and doing terrible damage to the Labour party.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "totally terrible" to emphatically express strong disapproval or negativity about something, but consider the audience and context to ensure it's appropriate.

Common error

Avoid using "totally terrible" too frequently in your writing, as it can weaken the impact of your message. Vary your language with synonyms like "utterly dreadful" or "completely horrendous" to maintain reader engagement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "totally terrible" functions as an intensified adjective phrase. It modifies a noun by emphatically expressing a negative quality or characteristic. As supported by Ludwig, it is a correct and usable phrase.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

91%

Wiki

9%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "totally terrible" is a common and grammatically correct way to express strong negativity. As confirmed by Ludwig, it is suitable for various contexts, although it is most frequently found in news and media sources. When using this phrase, consider your audience and the level of formality required. If a more professional tone is needed, consider alternatives like "utterly dreadful" or "exceptionally bad". While "totally terrible" is widely used, overuse can diminish its impact, so vary your language to maintain reader engagement.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

absolutely awful

This alternative emphasizes the extreme negativity using "absolutely" instead of "totally" and "awful" instead of "terrible".

utterly dreadful

This alternative uses "utterly" for emphasis and "dreadful" to describe something extremely unpleasant.

completely horrendous

This alternative replaces "totally" with "completely" and "terrible" with "horrendous", highlighting the shocking nature.

thoroughly appalling

This option uses "thoroughly" to intensify the degree and "appalling" to convey something deeply shocking and unpleasant.

exceptionally bad

This phrase uses "exceptionally" to emphasize the high degree of negativity and uses the simple descriptor "bad".

remarkably awful

This alternative replaces "totally" with "remarkably" and "terrible" with "awful".

singularly dreadful

This alternative uses "singularly" and "dreadful" to describe something exceptionally bad.

unmitigated disaster

This phrase conveys a complete and unredeemable failure or catastrophe.

downright atrocious

This alternative uses "downright" and "atrocious" to describe something shockingly bad or unpleasant.

a complete train wreck

This is an idiomatic expression indicating a disastrous or chaotic situation.

FAQs

How can I use "totally terrible" in a sentence?

You can use "totally terrible" to describe something extremely bad or unpleasant. For example, "The food at that restaurant was totally terrible".

What are some alternatives to saying "totally terrible"?

You can use alternatives like "absolutely awful", "utterly dreadful", or "completely horrendous" depending on the context.

Is "totally terrible" too informal for professional writing?

While "totally terrible" is generally acceptable, consider using more formal alternatives such as "thoroughly appalling" or "exceptionally bad" in professional contexts.

Which is correct, "totally terrible" or "terribly total"?

"Totally terrible" is the correct and more common phrasing. "Terribly total" is not a standard or recognized expression.