What is another word for awful?

Synonyms for awful
ˈɔ fəlaw·ful

This thesaurus page includes all potential synonyms, words with the same meaning and similar terms for the word awful.

English Synonyms and Antonyms0.0 / 0 votes

  1. awful

    Awful should not be used of things which are merely disagreeable or annoying, nor of all that are alarming and terrible, but only of such as bring a solemn awe upon the soul, as in the presence of a superior power; as, the awful hush before the battle. That which is awful arouses an oppressive, that which is august an admiring reverence; we speak of the august presence of a mighty monarch, the awful presence of death. We speak of an exalted station, a grand mountain, an imposing presence, a majestic cathedral, a noble mien, a solemn litany, a stately march, an august assembly, the awful scene of the Judgment Day.

    Synonyms:
    alarming, appalling, august, dire, direful, dread, dreadful, fearful, frightful, grand, horrible, imposing, majestic, noble, portentous, shocking, solemn, stately, terrible, terrific

    Antonyms:
    base, beggarly, commonplace, contemptible, despicable, humble, inferior, lowly, mean, paltry, undignified, vulgar

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms0.0 / 0 votes

  1. awful

    Synonyms:
    fearful, direful, appalling, terrible, alarming, dreadful, horrible, solemn, portentous, horrific

    Antonyms:
    inocuous, informidable, unimposing, unastonishing, commonplace, unnoticeable, unalarming, alluring

Princeton's WordNet0.0 / 0 votes

  1. atrocious, abominable, awful, dreadful, painful, terrible, unspeakableadjective

    exceptionally bad or displeasing

    "atrocious taste"; "abominable workmanship"; "an awful voice"; "dreadful manners"; "a painful performance"; "terrible handwriting"; "an unspeakable odor came sweeping into the room"

    Synonyms:
    irritating, dreadful, indescribable, indefinable, sore, odious, unnameable, execrable, horrifying, frightful, amazing, horrendous, severe, tremendous, dreaded, dire, afflictive, flagitious, grievous, monstrous, atrocious, ineffable, painful, detestable, awing, awed, wicked, dread(a), awe-inspiring, unspeakable, horrific, nasty, terrible, horrible, abominable, frightening, unutterable, awesome, fearsome, fearful, direful, untellable, ugly

    Antonyms:
    ordinary, unimpressive, good, irreverent, unalarming

  2. awful, dire, direful, dread(a), dreaded, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, frightening, horrendous, horrific, terribleadjective

    causing fear or dread or terror

    "the awful war"; "an awful risk"; "dire news"; "a career or vengeance so direful that London was shocked"; "the dread presence of the headmaster"; "polio is no longer the dreaded disease it once was"; "a dreadful storm"; "a fearful howling"; "horrendous explosions shook the city"; "a terrible curse"

    Antonyms:
    ordinary, unalarming, good, irreverent, unimpressive

  3. nasty, awfuladjective

    offensive or even (of persons) malicious

    "in a nasty mood"; "a nasty accident"; "a nasty shock"; "a nasty smell"; "a nasty trick to pull"; "Will he say nasty things at my funeral?"- Ezra Pound

    Synonyms:
    frightful, dread(a), cruddy, smutty, tight, terrible, amazing, horrific, filthy, awed, fearful, nasty, abominable, unspeakable, horrendous, foul, atrocious, tremendous, dreaded, awe-inspiring, awing, dreadful, direful, awesome, frightening, dire, painful, fearsome

    Antonyms:
    irreverent, ordinary, unalarming, unimpressive, good

  4. awed, awfuladjective

    inspired by a feeling of fearful wonderment or reverence

    "awed by the silence"; "awful worshippers with bowed heads"

    Synonyms:
    frightful, dread(a), fearsome, frightening, terrible, amazing, horrific, dreaded, awed, fearful, nasty, abominable, unspeakable, horrendous, awestricken, awe-inspiring, atrocious, tremendous, awing, dreadful, direful, awestruck, awesome, dire, painful

    Antonyms:
    good, irreverent, unalarming, unimpressive, ordinary

  5. frightful, terrible, awful, tremendousadjective

    extreme in degree or extent or amount or impact

    "in a frightful hurry"; "spent a frightful amount of money"

    Synonyms:
    dreadful, enormous, marvelous, wondrous, rattling(a), frightful, amazing, horrendous, severe, tremendous, dreaded, dire, wonderful, grand, marvellous, atrocious, painful, horrifying, awing, awed, wicked, horrific, dread(a), awe-inspiring, unspeakable, fearful, nasty, terrible, horrible, abominable, fantastic, frightening, terrific, awesome, fearsome, howling(a), direful, ugly

    Antonyms:
    good, irreverent, unimpressive, unalarming, ordinary

  6. amazing, awe-inspiring, awesome, awful, awingadverb

    inspiring awe or admiration or wonder

    "New York is an amazing city"; "the Grand Canyon is an awe-inspiring sight"; "the awesome complexity of the universe"; "this sea, whose gently awful stirrings seem to speak of some hidden soul beneath"- Melville; "Westminster Hall's awing majesty, so vast, so high, so silent"

    Synonyms:
    awesome, dread(a), fearsome, frightening, terrible, frightful, amazing, horrific, dreaded, awed, fearful, nasty, abominable, unspeakable, horrendous, awe-inspiring, atrocious, tremendous, astonishing, awing, dreadful, direful, dire, painful

    Antonyms:
    irreverent, good, unalarming, ordinary, unimpressive

  7. terribly, awfully, awful, frightfullyadverb

    used as intensifiers

    "terribly interesting"; "I'm awful sorry"

    Synonyms:
    abominably, rottenly, frightfully, dreadfully, atrociously, abysmally, terribly, awfully, horribly

    Antonyms:
    irreverent, unimpressive, ordinary, unalarming, good

Editors Contribution0.0 / 0 votes

  1. appalling

    when you get astounded or you get feared by a horrific thing

    the sight of black cat appalled me.

    Submitted by rinat on August 19, 2019  
  2. hellified

    the accident was hellified. the outfit that girl was wearing was hellified. in urban lifestyle, it could mean it was good or bad, ( out of this world, sharp or offer). extreme.

    Submitted by EJPraise on January 29, 2022  

Dictionary of English Synonymes0.0 / 0 votes

  1. awfuladjective

    Synonyms:
    venerable, august, grand, stately, imposing, solemn, majestic

  2. awfuladjective

    Synonyms:
    dread, dreadful, fearful, horrible, horrid, terrible, dire, direful, frightful, appalling, tremendous

  3. awfuladjective

    Synonyms:
    [Vulgar.] ugly, homely, unsightly, ill-looking

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words1.0 / 1 vote

  1. awfuladjective

    Synonyms:
    appalling, terrible, dreadful, frightful, grewsome, horrible, shocking, heinous, flagrant, awe-inspiring, majestic, (Slang) immoderate, great, serious, flagrant, egregious, excessive

How to pronounce awful?

How to say awful in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

rankingword
#560august
#841bad
#1450grand
#2767wonderful
#2928amazing
#3964severe
#3986tight
#4089fantastic
#4260horror
#4491awesome
#5214noble
#6918terrible
#7683nasty
#7689ugly
#8121enormous
#8459wicked
#8709horrible
#8774tremendous
#9372painful
#9392scary
#9718foul
#9775awful
#12244terrific
#12985sore
#13306majestic
#14061shocking
#15704imposing
#16120dire
#17692terribly
#19151marvelous
#19357creepy
#19359filthy
#19676dread
#20016astonishing
#20756frightening
#22989fearful
#23144alarming
#23190dreadful
#23970irritating
#24854solemn
#25388terrifying
#26052horrific
#26755stately
#27446dreaded
#28684horribly
#29587marvellous
#29891appalling
#30875monstrous
#30977hideous
#31123wondrous
#32531awfully
#36370gruesome
#37348horrid
#38864horrendous
#39885horrifying
#40529grievous
#45237unspeakable
#45529heinous
#47042ghastly
#50274atrocious
#51404abominable
#51495fearsome
#54515frightful
#55219excruciating
#57592odious
#58870indescribable
#62400awed
#65234kamala
#74271abhorrent
#77292ineffable
#77867dorky
#79634dreadfully
#97969detestable
#112448awestruck
#116795unutterable
#121959indefinable
#127207frightfully
#129078portentous
#140999smutty
#143060execrable
#160064cruddy
#174059abysmally
#245726atrociously
#248683abominably

How to use awful in a sentence?

  1. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker:

    I’m gonna support the Republican running against Hillary Clinton because Hillary Clinton would be an awful, awful president for the United States.

  2. A. G. Buckham:

    Monotony is the awful reward of the careful.

  3. Rob Cella:

    A relationship is like a rose, How long it lasts, no one knows Love can erase an awful past, Love can be yours, you'll see at last To feel that love, it makes you sigh, To have it leave, you'd rather die You hope you've found that special rose, 'Cause you love and care for the one you chose.

  4. Millicent Fenwick:

    Never feel self-pity, the most destructive emotion there is. How awful to be caught up in the terrible squirrel cage of self.

  5. Sarah Riggs Amico:

    I sat in an awful lot of living rooms( during the last campaign) and I can tell you, nobody's happy about having 79 counties without an OB-GYN or 64 without a pediatrician, or the highest maternal mortality rate in America, if we do those things, we can win. Look what we did last year and there was an awful lot of shenanigans at the ballot box that probably prevented Stacey Abrams in 2018 from being governor.


Translations for awful

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"awful." Synonyms.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2023. Web. 3 Dec. 2023. <https://www.synonyms.com/synonym/awful>.

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    Which of the following words is a synonym for quintessential?
    • A. execptional
    • B. inconceivable
    • C. atrocious
    • D. typical

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