Not as terrible as what I thought

Open Forum in English
1

Oh, my God, that is terrible. But it’s not as terrible as what I thought.

Question: Should I omit the word “what” in the sentence?

  1. It’s not as terrible as what I thought.
    or
  2. It’s not as terrible as I thought.
    Which one is correct or better?
    Thank you!!!

1280×720 194 KB

2

The “what” would not be spoken. The full sentence, including “implied” text, "might be:
"But it’s not as terrible as I thought it would be.

If “it” is a different thing altogether from the thing I was thinking about, the sentence might be:
“But it’s not what I thought.” or “But it’s not what I thought it would be.”

3 Likes
3

#2 is more natural.

The alternatives are what Mycroft suggested.