"sizzlingly hot" or "sizzling hot"?

[Hugo_Lin]

Hi, teachers:

I'm very confused about the combination of adverbs and adjectives. When should an adjective be preceded by an adverb and when an adjective? It looks to me there's no rule to follow?? ( being a non-native speaker)

For example, I'v heard usages like:

She's sizzlingly hot.
The shirt is blinking cheap.
It is blistering cold.
It could get alarmingly rainy in the summer here.

I find the last two ones extremely confusing. I assume they are all correct usages, aren't they? But why "cold" is preceded by adjective "blistering" while "rainy" by adverb "alarmingly"

Any rules to follow?

Many thanks in advance.

[emsr2d2]

Hi, teachers:

I'm very confused about the combination of adverbs and adjectives. When should an adjective be preceded by an adverb and when an adjective? It looks to me there's no rule to follow?? ( being a non-native speaker)

For example, I'v heard usages like:


I find the last two ones extremely confusing. I assume they are all correct usages, aren't they? But why "cold" is preceded by adjective "blistering" while "rainy" by adverb "alarmingly"

Any rules to follow?

Many thanks in advance.

With "blinking cold", "blinking" is less of an adjective and more of an intensifier, "it's very hot". "Blinking" can be considered a very mild cuss/swear word. Instead you might hear "It's damn cold" or "It's f**king cold".

In my opinion "It's blisteringly cold" would be more usual.

The use of adverbs is appropriate when what you're trying to suggest is that the level of adjective could have a physical effect:

Blisteringly hot = so hot your skin might blister
Nail-bitingly scary = so frightening you might bite your fingernails in fear
Amazingly cold = so cold, one is amazed at the low temperature