1
as in horrible
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
that's an awful thing to say about someone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in amazing
causing wonder or astonishment
the awful power of Niagara Falls
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent
spare me the awful details of the murder
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in terrible
extremely unsatisfactory
I can't believe I spent good money to see that movie—it was awful
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in terribly
to a great degree
that's awful sweet of you
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of awful
James Mirtle, New York Times, 11 June 2026
There's an awful lot of this nation's history packed into one three-block area in Philadelphia.
—Usa Today Network, USA Today, 10 June 2026
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 26 May 2022
First, there is the question whether the awful-looking restraint maneuver Chauvin used was actually authorized at the time, or at least not clearly forbidden.
—D.j. Tice, Star Tribune, 20 Feb. 2021
See All Example Sentences for awful
Adjective
But there is also an undeniable malaise among many Canadian fans right now, especially after an awful year on the ice for all but the Canadiens.
—James Mirtle, New York Times, 11 June 2026
There's an awful lot of this nation's history packed into one three-block area in Philadelphia.
—Usa Today Network, USA Today, 10 June 2026
Adverb
Someone who has worked awful hard, has a great skill set, four years of college, four years of lifting, four years of game-planning at a high level in Division III.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 26 May 2022
First, there is the question whether the awful-looking restraint maneuver Chauvin used was actually authorized at the time, or at least not clearly forbidden.
—D.j. Tice, Star Tribune, 20 Feb. 2021
See All Example Sentences for awful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for awful
Adjective
-
Iran’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad World Cup got a lot better Sunday.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
-
What started as a horrible mistake ended up bringing the community together.—
Andrea Nakano,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
My brother in-law was an incredible husband and an amazing father to their boys.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
Give the audience this amazing look, but the music’s the thread of the whole thing.—
Holly Gleason,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
What should have been a night of celebration and community reflection for Juneteenth was shattered by a horrific act of violence.—
Kelsie Cairns,
FOXNews.com,
22 June 2026
-
First of all, the suffering of the Iranian people has been horrific in the context of this unnecessary conflict.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 June 2026
Adjective
-
This is Conolly’s Folly, built in 1740 at the height of a terrible famine.—
Amelia Soth,
JSTOR Daily,
18 June 2026
-
The heroes who save us from these awful, terrible music haters do so with force.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
Adverb
-
In forming our union, the founders fell terribly short of the declaration's promise, leaving slavery intact, allowing states to restrict the franchise to white men who own property.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
-
But if the film occasionally threatens to float away into its own inaccessible realm, Camp’s witty, doleful performance grounds it with a human dimension, albeit not a terribly warm one.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
Both state and church are also known for failing to live up to those ideals, for permitting indefensible abuses, for ugly histories.—
Joe Mathews,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
-
Featuring the good, the bad and the ugly, ‘Look of the Week’ is a regular series dedicated to unpacking the most talked about outfit of the last seven days.—
Fiona Sinclair Scott,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
The campsite is a budget-friendly way to spend a few nights in the area, a wonderful addition given the more luxe vibe of the other spaces that makes this property feel like a real community.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 June 2026
-
But in general, working with Tim is just wonderful.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
The historic victory, the nation’s first ever in the World Cup, was overshadowed when the midfielder injured his leg in gruesome fashion following a clumsy challenge from Qatar’s Assim Madibo.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
-
Men In Blazers Canada’s first-ever World Cup victory, a 6-0 demolition derby of Qatar, was overshadowed yesterday by a gruesome leg injury suffered by midfield maestro Ismaël Koné.—
Mark Hodge,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Awful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/awful. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
