Synonyms for dreadful
ˈdrɛd fəldread·ful

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. dreadful

   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, awful, dire, direful, dread, 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 AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. dreadful

   Synonyms:
   fearful, shocking, monstrous, dire, terrible, frightful, terrific, horrible, alarming, awful

   Antonyms:
   encouraging, inspiriting, assuring, promising, hopeful

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. 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:
   pleasant, good, unalarming

2. 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, indescribable, indefinable, awful, 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:
   pleasant, unalarming, good

3. dreadfuladjective

   very unpleasant

   Synonyms:
   dread(a), fearful, abominable, painful, dire, terrible, horrendous, fearsome, horrific, unspeakable, dreaded, awful, atrocious, frightening, direful

   Antonyms:
   pleasant, unalarming, good

Editors ContributionRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. 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 SynonymesRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. dreadfuladjective

   Synonyms:
   terrible, horrible, horrid, direful, dire, fearful, frightful, terrific, awful, tremendous

2. dreadfuladjective

   Synonyms:
   venerable, awful

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. dreadfuladjective

   Synonyms:
   fearful, terrible, formidable, awful, dread, dire, direful, frightful

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "dreadful":

   terrible, appalling, horrific, horrible, awful, horrendous, horrifying, atrocious, dire, terrifying, frightening, heinous, gruesome, hideous, abominable, shocking, kamala

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How to use dreadful in a sentence?

1. Prime Minister David Cameron:

   We have lost a great star, she was a great campaigning MP with huge compassion, with a big heart. It is dreadful, dreadful news.

2. Timothy Flanigan:

   Ebola causes such intense fear because it is such a dreadful virus, i developed great admiration for the nurses and staff in the clinics that stayed open despite the fear.

3. Matthias Rogg:

   It's the point from which everything is measured. It fed the myth that Dresden was the innocent victim of a pointless war and hid the fact that it was a center of Nazism and a significant hub for making armaments, and while the bombing of Dresden was dreadful, it's crucial that without Sept. 1 1939, without Warsaw, Rotterdam, Coventry, London there wouldn't have been Dresden.

4. Elizabeth Bowen:

   It is in this unearthly first hour of spring twilight that earth's almost agonized livingness is most felt. This hour is so dreadful to some people that they hurry indoors and turn on the lights.

5. Jules Renard:

   The danger of success is that it makes us forget the world's dreadful injustice.