dreadful

adjective

dread·ful | \ ˈdred-fəl

Definition of dreadful

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : inspiring dread (see dread entry 2 sense 1a) : causing great and oppressive fear a dreadful attack

b : inspiring awe or reverence

2 : extremely bad, distasteful, unpleasant, or shocking a dreadful idea a dreadful performance dreadful behavior The food was absolutely dreadful.

3 : extreme dreadful disorder

dreadful

noun

Definition of dreadful (Entry 2 of 2)

publishing

: a cheap and sensational (see sensational sense 2) story or periodical

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Examples of dreadful in a Sentence

Adjective

Her performance was absolutely dreadful. Those children have such dreadful manners.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Recent Form Saudi Arabia come into the clash on a dreadful run of form. — SI.com, "World Cup Preview: Saudi Arabia vs Egypt - Classic Encounter, Team News, Predictions & More," 24 June 2018 Based on Sinclair's first-hand reporting of the dreadful conditions at meat-packing plants, the details in the manuscript were so shocking that his initial publisher, MacMillan, refused to publish it and dumped him as a client. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "We have food safety laws thanks to 19th century “poison squad”," 26 Nov. 2018 No more making that dreadful reach for the top left of your Galaxy Note. — Chris Welch, The Verge, "Samsung’s new One UI software will make giant phones much easier to use," 7 Nov. 2018 With her face illuminated just by the glow of her MacBook, Kayla pores over that most dreadful and magical of places: the internet. — David Sims, The Atlantic, "Eighth Grade Is a Mesmerizing, Heartfelt Portrait of Teenhood," 12 July 2018 Nigeria were dreadful against Croatia, and Iceland may not have to perform to the best of their abilities to get a result. — SI.com, "World Cup Preview: Nigeria vs Iceland - Recent Form, Predictions, Team News & More," 21 June 2018 But so many others are possessed of a dreadful, unremarked upon sameness, and an unremitting nobility that can leave this reader feeling a bit mutinous. — Parul Sehgal, New York Times, "What the Living Can Learn by Looking Death Straight in the Eye," 26 June 2018 The outcome was inspiring, but the action itself was dreadful, with Iceland playing the majority of the game with 10 players behind the ball. — Dylan Hernandez, latimes.com, "Landon Donovan's heart was in the right place, but the U.S.-Mexico soccer rivalry is too intense," 20 June 2018 Colin Tebbutt, now 77, was one of the first people to get a call that dreadful night. — Jennifer Earl, Fox News, "Princess Diana's driver describes last moment he saw her after deadly car crash: 'I lost myself'," 31 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dreadful.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.