dreadful

1 of 2

adjective

dread·​ful ˈdred-fəl How to pronounce dreadful (audio)
1
a
: 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
dreadfully adverb
dreadfulness noun

dreadful

2 of 2

noun

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

Examples of dreadful in a Sentence

Adjective Her performance was absolutely dreadful. Those children have such dreadful manners.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The intrigue: Amid this dreadful season, The Athletic recently published a scathing investigation into the ballclub, pointing the finger at longtime owner Jerry Reinsdorf. Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 28 Sep. 2024 In 11 career games with the Titans, though, Willis was a dreadful 35-of-66 for 350 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions. Rob Reischel, Forbes, 22 Sep. 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 See all Example Sentences for dreadful 

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

Etymology

Adjective

see dread entry 1

Noun

see dread entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

circa 1873, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dreadful was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near dreadful

Cite this Entry

“Dreadful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dreadful. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.

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
-f(ə-)lē
adverb
dreadfulness
-fəl-nəs
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on dreadful

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