Cool MateBloody vs Terribly
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Bloody
InformalTop 2,000 (common)
Terribly
Top 2,000 (common)B2adverb
Most formal: Terribly
| Bloody | Terribly | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //ˈblʌdi//🇺🇸 //ˈblʌdi// | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈterəbli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈterəbli/"]/ |
| Meaning | Very angry or used for emphasis | Very badly or extremely. |
| Example | I’m bloody tired of this nonsense! | I'm terribly sorry—did I hurt you? |
| Register | Informal | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | - | B2 |
| Part of speech | adverb | |
| Collocations | bloody amazing, bloody hell, bloody awful, bloody difficult | terribly wrong, terribly sorry, terribly afraid, terribly upset |
| Antonyms | clean, pure | wonderfully, fantastically, nicely |
| Common mistakes | Used excessively in formal writing., Confused with 'bloodied', which means covered in blood., Misunderstood as offensive in all contexts. | Using 'terribly' with positive contexts (e.g., 'terribly good' instead of 'really good')., Confusing 'terribly' with 'terrific' which has the opposite meaning., Omitting it when making a strong negative statement. |
| Usage notes | Commonly used in British English for emphasis. Can also be vulgar if used excessively. Caution in formal contexts. | Use 'terribly' to emphasize a negative situation or quality. It's common in both spoken and written English but avoid in formal contexts. For example, 'I felt terribly tired.' |
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Frequently asked questions: Bloody vs Terribly
What's the difference between Bloody and Terribly?
Bloody: Very angry or used for emphasis Terribly: Very badly or extremely.
Which is more formal: Bloody and Terribly?
Terribly is the most formal of these.
Can you show an example of each?
Bloody: I’m bloody tired of this nonsense! Terribly: I'm terribly sorry—did I hurt you?
Can I use Bloody and Terribly interchangeably?
Not always. Bloody and Terribly are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.