Synonyms for awful
ˈɔ fəlaw·ful

English Synonyms and Antonyms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

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 Antonyms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. awful

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

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

Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

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 Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

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  

Dictionary of English Synonymes(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

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 Words(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate these synonyms:

1. awfuladjective

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

PPDB, the paraphrase database(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these paraphrases:

1. List of paraphrases for "awful":

   horrible, terrible, dreadful, horrific, appalling, hideous, ugly, horrendous, horrid, horrifying, atrocious, ghastly, gruesome, heinous, abhorrent, dog-ugly, god-awful, creepy, dire, abominable, bad, horror, dorky, nasty, scary, excruciating, terrifying, kamala

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How to use awful in a sentence?

1. Rory Cole:

   If you’re going from Al Faw to Basra to Baghdad to Istanbul you’re going to have an awful lot of sites regenerating that signal, they need to be protected, each one of those hops exposes it to more interference.

2. Paul Dergarabedian:

   Theres no way to sugarcoat this, this was a pretty awful weekend for the overall marketplace.

3. Zelfira Tregulova:

   The incident was awful and frightening and speaks to the aggression which reigns in society.

4. Rob Carnell:

   I think there's a tendency for markets at times to just want to be positive unless you hit them repeatedly, and not just with bad news, but with new bad news, there's been an awful lot of bad news priced in. So perhaps the absence of new negatives are enough to allow for a small sense of positivity to creep in.

5. Bill Clinton:

   That awful act finally stirred all the members of NATO to support the military intervention that was clearly necessary.

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