What are some alternative words for awful?
Synonyms for awful
ˈɔ fəl
This thesaurus page is about all possible synonyms, equivalent, same meaning and similar words for the term awful.
Princeton's WordNet
atrocious, abominable, awful, dreadful, painful, terrible, unspeakable(adj)
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, uglyAntonyms:
ordinary, unimpressive, good, irreverent, unalarmingawful, dire, direful, dread(a), dreaded, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, frightening, horrendous, horrific, terrible(adj)
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, unimpressivenasty, awful(adj)
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, fearsomeAntonyms:
irreverent, ordinary, unalarming, unimpressive, goodawed, awful(adj)
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, painfulAntonyms:
good, irreverent, unalarming, unimpressive, ordinaryfrightful, terrible, awful, tremendous(adj)
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, uglyAntonyms:
good, irreverent, unimpressive, unalarming, ordinaryamazing, awe-inspiring, awesome, awful, awing(adverb)
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, painfulAntonyms:
irreverent, good, unalarming, ordinary, unimpressiveterribly, awfully, awful, frightfully(adverb)
used as intensifiers
"terribly interesting"; "I'm awful sorry"
Synonyms:
abominably, rottenly, frightfully, dreadfully, atrociously, abysmally, terribly, awfully, horriblyAntonyms:
irreverent, unimpressive, ordinary, unalarming, good
English Synonyms and Antonyms
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, terrificAntonyms:
base, beggarly, commonplace, contemptible, despicable, humble, inferior, lowly, mean, paltry, undignified, vulgar
Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms
awful
Synonyms:
fearful, direful, appalling, terrible, alarming, dreadful, horrible, solemn, portentous, horrificAntonyms:
inocuous, informidable, unimposing, unastonishing, commonplace, unnoticeable, unalarming, alluring
Editors Contribution
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
Dictionary of English Synonymes
Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words
Words popularity by usage frequency
How to use awful in a sentence?
We all have dreams. In order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.
Somalis have made my city of Wilmington, Delaware, [their home] on a smaller scale. There is a large, very identifiable Somali community, i might add if you ever come to the train station with me you’ll notice I have great relationships with them because there’s an awful lot driving cabs and are friends of mine. For real. I’m not being solicitous. I’m being serious.
Watch it, Father, i obviously made an awful choice calling on the Father. You put me on the spot.
You're getting set up for potential upside surprises, you may take a step back and look at this and say, 'No matter how awful these numbers may be, at least they're still in business.'.
No, because Obamacare is awful, we can protect preexisting conditions in this state without protecting Obamacare.
Translations for awful
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- horrorósCatalan, Valencian
- ofnadwyWelsh
- furchtbar, schrecklichGerman
- απαίσιοςGreek
- aĉaEsperanto
- terrible, atroz, horribleSpanish
- karmea, hämmästynyt, kaamea, kamala, hämmästyttävä, hirvittävä, hirveä, mahtava, kauhistuttava, jumalaapelkäävä, kauhea, lainkuuliainenFinnish
- épouvantable, horrible, terribleFrench
- sgriosailScottish Gaelic
- भयंकरHindi
- mengerikanIndonesian
- orribileItalian
- grusom, forferdeligNorwegian
- hóyééʼNavajo, Navaho
- horrível, temível, medonho, terrível, apavorante, péssimoPortuguese
- oribil, impresionant, îngrozitor, teribil, înfiorător, atroceRomanian
- устрашающий, ужасающий, ужасныйRussian
- மோசமானTamil
- berbatTurkish
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Translation
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Citation
Use the citation below to add these synonyms to your bibliography:
"awful." Synonyms.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2021. Web. 27 Feb. 2021. <https://www.synonyms.com/synonym/awful>.