Adverbs of Negative Results · Adverbs: Result Viewpoint

in a way that wastes time, resources, or effort

"The machine ran inefficiently."

"The old machine ran inefficiently and it used twice as much energy as the new model."

in an extremely unsuccessful or unfortunate way

"The plan failed disastrously."

"The plan failed disastrously and the company lost millions of dollars because of the manager's poor decisions."

in a way that cannot be fixed

"The vase was irreparably broken."

"The antique vase was irreparably broken and the collector was devastated because the valuable piece could never be repaired."

without success or achieving the desired result

"He tried in vain to open the door."

"He tried in vain to open the door but it was locked from the inside and he had to call a locksmith for help."

in a manner that causes a lot of damage, often on a big scale

"The mission failed catastrophically."

"The mission failed catastrophically and all of the astronauts died when the spacecraft exploded shortly after launch."

with the intent of causing harm

"He behaved destructively."

"The child destructively tore apart his toys and his mother did not buy him any new ones because he kept breaking them."

in a manner that does not achieve the desired outcome

"He unsuccessfully tried to open the door."

"He unsuccessfully tried to open the door with the wrong key and then realized that he had taken the wrong set by mistake."

in a way that is extremely unfortunate, sorrowful, or leads to great distress

"He died tragically."

"The young actor died tragically in a car accident and his fans mourned the loss of such a talented performer."

in a way that is not correct or not suitable

"He behaved improperly."

"The mechanic improperly installed the brakes and the car failed inspection because the parts were not aligned correctly."

in a way that results in death or severe harm

"He was mortally wounded."

"The soldier was mortally wounded in the battle and he died in the arms of his best friend."

in a way that has the potential to cause serious harm or death

"The dose was lethally strong."

"The dose was lethally strong and the patient died within minutes of receiving the medication."

in a manner that denotes an illness or condition that is incurable and expected to result in death

"He was terminally ill."

"The patient was terminally ill and the doctors told his family that he had only a few months left to live."

in a way that presents difficulties or challenges

"The plan was problematically flawed."

"The plan was problematically flawed and the team had to start over from the beginning."

in a way that cannot be regained or recovered

"The data was irretrievably lost."

"The data was irretrievably lost and the scientist could not recover any of the information from the corrupted hard drive."

in a way that causes strong public disagreement

"He controversially spoke out."

"The politician controversially spoke out against the popular policy and his remarks were criticized by members of both political parties."

in a way that hints at something bad about to happen or a feeling of approaching danger

"The sky darkened ominously."

"The sky darkened ominously before the storm and the sailors rushed to bring their boats back to the harbor."

in a way that seems opposite to what one would expect

"Paradoxically less is more."

"Paradoxically less is more when it comes to adding seasoning to the dish because too many spices can ruin the flavor."

in a way that is widely known or recognized typically for negative reasons

"The area is notoriously dangerous at night."

"The area is notoriously dangerous at night so it is best to avoid walking there alone after dark."

in a way that lacks order or planning, often appearing random

"The books were haphazardly stacked."

"The books were haphazardly stacked on the shelf and they fell over when someone accidentally bumped the bookcase."

in a way that cannot be prevented or escaped

"He was unavoidably delayed."

"The driver was unavoidably delayed by the accident on the highway and he arrived at work forty five minutes late."

in a way that is impossible to prevent or change

"Time passes inexorably."

"Time passes inexorably and no matter how much we wish we could slow it down the seconds continue to tick away."

in a manner that is widely known for bad reasons

"He infamously betrayed his friend."

"The criminal infamously betrayed his partner and he was known throughout the underworld as a man who could not be trusted."

in a way that is capable of causing death

"The wound was fatally deep."

"The accident proved to be fatally injurious to the driver, despite immediate medical attention."

in a way that cannot be stopped or avoided, and certainly happens

"Inevitably mistakes will happen."

"Inevitably mistakes will happen when you try something new so do not be too hard on yourself when they occur."