1
as in horrible
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
that's an awful thing to say about someone
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in amazing
causing wonder or astonishment
the awful power of Niagara Falls
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent
spare me the awful details of the murder
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in terrible
extremely unsatisfactory
I can't believe I spent good money to see that movie—it was awful
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as in terribly
to a great degree
that's awful sweet of you
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of awful
Jerry Beach, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
The Oscars stage is no stranger to political speeches and trans people certainly could have used a shoutout, given that 2025 has already been a historically awful year for trans people in America.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 3 Mar. 2025
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
The Islanders provided islanders one of the few diversions during the awful summer of 2020, when the Islanders returned from the COVID pause and made the NHL semifinals in the Canada bubble.
—Jerry Beach, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
The Oscars stage is no stranger to political speeches and trans people certainly could have used a shoutout, given that 2025 has already been a historically awful year for trans people in America.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 3 Mar. 2025
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
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Some compare Sanders to Geno Smith — not flattering, but not horrible.—
Troy Renck,
Orlando Sentinel,
2 Mar. 2025
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Everybody's going to be thrown, according to , into all these horrible situations.—
Hugh Cameron,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Grateful for the Eagles Organization, grateful for my team, grateful for the amazing fans in Philly.—
Ben Church,
CNN,
5 Mar. 2025
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Artistic director Adam Burke brought together an amazing team to work on the play.—
Lisa Vernon Sparks,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The horrific apparent overdose came a day after a drug-dealing operator of a Bronx day care was sentenced to 45 years in prison for the death of a toddler exposed to fentanyl and the overdoses of three other children who survived.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
5 Mar. 2025
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Read Next California Toddler disfigured by burns in ‘horrific’ child endangerment case in CA.—
Mike Stunson,
Kansas City Star,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Traditional networks grant access just because a device is on the network, which is a terrible idea.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
-
Other adults in the room opt to avert their eyes as Jamie disrobes, but Eddie can’t turn away, out of a mix of protectiveness and horrified shock, in the same way that there’s no editor to protect the characters, the actors, or the audience from having to live in each terrible moment of the scene.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
11 Mar. 2025
Adverb
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Many of these names will not be terribly familiar to MLP fans, or even some die-hard pro pickleball fans.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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Our Transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, has said that none of these jobs eliminated at FAA were terribly critical to safety.—
Victoria Chamberlin,
Vox,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The advanced metrics paint an ugly picture for the Suns as well over that span: 114.0 OffRtg (11th), 117.3 DefRtg (27th), -3.2 NetRtg (21st).—
Evan Sidery,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
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Or the constitutional dystopia in which we are now caught, beside which even the ugliest onscreen villainy pales into insignificance?—
Justin Chang,
The New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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So actually, the story can be looked at as a celebration of the fact that your disability can just be one wonderful part of you.—
Esme Mazzeo,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2025
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And now my wonderful desk light is starting to flicker.—
Inga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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On September 2, 1885, in one of the most gruesome episodes of racial terror in American history, a group of white miners killed at least twenty-eight Chinese residents in Rock Springs and burned down the town’s Chinese quarter.—
Michael Luo,
The New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2025
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The Fallen Sun stands out not just as a cop procedural, but also as a thriller that never shys away from the gruesome nature of the killer’s crime spree.—
Sezin Koehler,
EW.com,
28 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Awful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/awful. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.
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