utterly awful

USAGE SUMMARY

"utterly awful" is a phrase that is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe something that is extremely unpleasant or bad. Example: "The food I ate last night was utterly awful."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Opinion

Sport

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

14 human-written examples

Utterly awful.

The Guardian - Sport

It must have been absolutely and utterly awful".

The New York Times

It must have been absolutely and utterly awful," Steenkamp said.

The Guardian

England's centres have been utterly awful so far.

The Guardian - Sport

I buried her in the garden and it was all utterly awful.

The Guardian - Opinion

My favourite bad movie is The Happening, utterly awful in every department but yet I am still drawn to it.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

46 human-written examples

Absolutely awful".

Forbes

Utterly amazing.

BBC

Utterly terrible.

Vice

(And as I said before, the many liberals who "monitor" Fox and debunk their mistakes receive self-esteem in the same way. It's actually a pretty brilliant business model. Utterly warped and awful, but brilliant).

Huffington Post

"Ten years ago it was so awful, so utterly filthy and neglected and full of rubbish.

The Guardian - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "utterly awful" to express strong disapproval or extreme negativity, particularly when describing experiences, performances, or situations. It's effective for conveying a sense of complete dissatisfaction.

Common error

While "utterly awful" is acceptable, avoid overusing it in formal or academic writing. Opt for more nuanced and sophisticated vocabulary to convey your critique, such as "woefully inadequate" or "exceptionally substandard".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "utterly awful" primarily functions as an adjectival phrase. The adverb "utterly" intensifies the adjective "awful", modifying a noun or pronoun to express a strong negative attribute. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Opinion

10%

Sport

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "utterly awful" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase in written English, as validated by Ludwig AI. It functions as an adjectival phrase to express strong disapproval or negativity. While it is commonly found in News & Media, Opinion, and Sport contexts, it might be too informal for certain professional settings. When seeking alternative phrasing, consider "completely dreadful" or "absolutely terrible" for similar intensity. Remember to tailor your vocabulary to suit the formality of your intended audience and writing context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

completely dreadful

Replaces "awful" with "dreadful" maintaining the emphasis through "completely".

absolutely terrible

Substitutes "utterly" with "absolutely" and "awful" with "terrible" offering a near equivalent expression.

thoroughly unpleasant

Emphasizes the unpleasant nature using "thoroughly" instead of "utterly" and shifts from "awful" to "unpleasant".

totally horrendous

Replaces "awful" with the stronger term "horrendous" while keeping the intensifier.

exceptionally bad

Uses a more formal tone, replacing "utterly" with "exceptionally" and "awful" with "bad".

remarkably poor

Shifts the focus to the quality being poor, using "remarkably" for emphasis.

patently inferior

Indicates a clear and obvious lack of quality or standard.

simply atrocious

Replaces "utterly" with "simply" and "awful" with "atrocious" conveying extreme poorness.

unbelievably disappointing

Focuses on the disappointment caused, rather than just the quality.

woefully inadequate

Highlights the inadequacy or deficiency of something.

FAQs

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

You can use "utterly awful" to describe something extremely unpleasant or bad. For example: "The service at that restaurant was "utterly awful"."

What are some alternatives to saying "utterly awful"?

You can use alternatives like "completely dreadful", "absolutely terrible", or "thoroughly unpleasant" depending on the context.

Is "utterly awful" too informal for professional writing?

While "utterly awful" is generally understandable, it might be perceived as slightly informal for professional contexts. Consider using more neutral alternatives such as "exceptionally bad" or "remarkably poor" in those situations.

What is the difference between ""utterly awful"" and "awful"?

The word "utterly" intensifies the adjective "awful", indicating that something is not just bad, but extremely so. "Awful" alone expresses a negative sentiment, but ""utterly awful"" emphasizes the magnitude of the negative quality.