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
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.
Adjective
The Champions Trophy exit was equally passive after a dreadful showing in the preparatory bilateral series against India. Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025 Hicks has trust from his manager but still needs to prove his worth after a dreadful Red Sox tenure thus far following the Rafael Devers trade. Tim Crowley, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
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 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 See All Example Sentences for dreadful

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dreadful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dreadful. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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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