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
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
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Recent Examples of awful
Gerard S. Williams,
Sun Sentinel,
21 June 2026
Venable hasn’t endured nearly as much criticism because the Sox were awful last year and weren’t expected to do anything this season.
—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2026
Positions that once sounded awful to her, like dishwashing, no longer seem so.
—
ABC News,
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
See All Example Sentences for awful
Adjective
The Florida prison system is awful.
—
Gerard S. Williams,
Sun Sentinel,
21 June 2026
Venable hasn’t endured nearly as much criticism because the Sox were awful last year and weren’t expected to do anything this season.
—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2026
Positions that once sounded awful to her, like dishwashing, no longer seem so.
—
ABC News,
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
See All Example Sentences for awful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for awful
Adjective
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The Red Sox offense has been horrible this season, but Contreras has been everything the club could have hoped for.
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Your cab driver is taking you on a horrible route.
Adjective
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The eighth-floor outdoor pool has amazing views, and the hotel sits in walking distance of shops and restaurants.
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The director, 68, and the action star, 78, worked together on 1996's Eraser, with both wanting to deliver an amazing action movie.
Adjective
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Chicago city officials have never forgotten the lessons of the historic and horrific heat wave of July 1995, which killed 739 people in the Chicago area.
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Many of these countries are well known for horrific human rights abuses, lack of justice and abysmal detention conditions.
Adjective
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Thank you to everyone who read or contributed to this column over the years, who reached out to me with story ideas or tips, or complimented my terrible artwork.
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Visitors will see his Rough Riders uniform; the 1884 diary grieving his terrible loss; and the eyeglasses case, speech and shirt from the 1912 assassination attempt against him.
Adverb
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Wonderfully and terribly, everything does happen for Maddie after her adoring bear of a husband, Jake (Eric Rahill), makes a cooking video of her that goes massively viral.
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Perhaps the biggest problem with this movie is that Supergirl (Helen Slater) seems terribly leisurely about her fateful mission.
Adjective
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With one notable exception, everyone over there has nothing but ugly things to say about their main villa counterparts.
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Women superheroes have always activated an ugly segment of the internet.
Adjective
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So many wonderful dinners with friends and nights out on the town.
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Soccer – football in much of the world – has a long and wonderful tradition of singing, whether that be in praise of their favorite players, mocking opponents (sometimes, brutally so) or simply urging their team forward.
Adjective
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Chris Brown was found liable by a Los Angeles jury on Tuesday for $13 million in the gruesome case of a dog that mauled and disfigured his housekeeper at his home in 2020.
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But as the days dragged on, headlines about power outages and water shortages took a back seat to a far more gruesome and horrific reality.
Cite this Entry
“Awful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/awful. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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