1
a
: inspiring dread (see dread entry 2 sense 1a) : causing great and oppressive fear
a dreadful attack
2
: extremely bad, distasteful, unpleasant, or shocking
a dreadful idea
a dreadful performance
dreadful behavior
The food was absolutely dreadful.
3
: extreme
dreadful disorder
publishing
: a cheap and sensational (see sensational sense 2) story or periodical
Synonyms
Examples of dreadful in a Sentence
Adjective
Her performance was absolutely dreadful.
Those children have such dreadful manners.
Recent Examples on the Web
David Goldman, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
Despite the dreadful Bay Area job market at the beginning of 2023, experts are encouraged that the region has now gained jobs for five consecutive months.
—George Avalos, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024
Christopher Nolan’s Oscar wins for the dreadful, uninspiring Oppenheimer confirm the destructive change that has taken hold in contemporary film culture.
—Armond White, National Review, 13 Mar. 2024
To avoid getting the jitters or experiencing that dreadful caffeine crash, stick to no more than four cups a day.
—Maria Berentzen, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2024
But ''The Simpson Family Smile-Time Variety Hour'' is the strongest of the three spawn — a searing homage to one of the most dreadful spinoffs ever, The Brady Bunch Hour.
—EW.com, 18 Mar. 2024
Not all fictional depictions of AGI are as dramatic and dreadful though: Think of bumbling Star Wars robots C-3PO and R2-D2.
—Pawel Rzeszucinski, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
Neither her wonder nor her cynicism comes across well, and her lines fall flat, earning her little sympathy despite her sad history and dreadful living arrangements.
—Sarah Schutte, National Review, 7 Jan. 2024
Tuesday night was particularly dreadful, missing their first 13 shots and 23 of their first 25, trailing 12-2 and 27-10.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024
Tony Morley, Time, 28 Dec. 2022
The comical bumps up against the chaotic, the domestic beats back the dreadful.
—Ed Stockly, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2022
The program is filled out with two original stories written by Novotny; including one with a character from a penny dreadful — the pulp fiction of the age.
—Annie Alleman, Chicago Tribune, 14 Sep. 2022
Adjective
But Clark’s exit from the college game and likely rookie season on the dreadful Indiana Fever — which has the first pick in the WNBA draft — will put those theories to the test later this year.
—David Goldman, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
Despite the dreadful Bay Area job market at the beginning of 2023, experts are encouraged that the region has now gained jobs for five consecutive months.
—George Avalos, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024
Christopher Nolan’s Oscar wins for the dreadful, uninspiring Oppenheimer confirm the destructive change that has taken hold in contemporary film culture.
—Armond White, National Review, 13 Mar. 2024
To avoid getting the jitters or experiencing that dreadful caffeine crash, stick to no more than four cups a day.
—Maria Berentzen, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2024
But ''The Simpson Family Smile-Time Variety Hour'' is the strongest of the three spawn — a searing homage to one of the most dreadful spinoffs ever, The Brady Bunch Hour.
—EW.com, 18 Mar. 2024
Not all fictional depictions of AGI are as dramatic and dreadful though: Think of bumbling Star Wars robots C-3PO and R2-D2.
—Pawel Rzeszucinski, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
Neither her wonder nor her cynicism comes across well, and her lines fall flat, earning her little sympathy despite her sad history and dreadful living arrangements.
—Sarah Schutte, National Review, 7 Jan. 2024
Tuesday night was particularly dreadful, missing their first 13 shots and 23 of their first 25, trailing 12-2 and 27-10.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024
Noun
In 1989, there were 892,055 cases of Guinea worm disease, a dreadful and debilitating waterborne parasitic infection historically endemic to Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
—Tony Morley, Time, 28 Dec. 2022
The comical bumps up against the chaotic, the domestic beats back the dreadful.
—Ed Stockly, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2022
The program is filled out with two original stories written by Novotny; including one with a character from a penny dreadful — the pulp fiction of the age.
—Annie Alleman, Chicago Tribune, 14 Sep. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dreadful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing dreadful
Dictionary Entries Near dreadful
Cite this Entry
“Dreadful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dreadful. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
dreadful
adjective
dread·ful
ˈdred-fəl
1
: causing dread or awe
a dreadful storm
2
: very disagreeable, unpleasant, or shocking
a dreadful cold
dreadful news
dreadfully
adverb
-f(ə-)lē
dreadfulness
noun
-fəl-nəs
More from Merriam-Webster on dreadful
Nglish: Translation of dreadful for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of dreadful for Arabic Speakers
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