as in dreadfulness
the quality of inspiring intense dread or dismay
the awfulness of the car accident can scarcely be described
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Recent Examples of awfulness
Howard, now in his 70s, decided to make a film about the fundamental awfulness of other humans, delivering one of his darkest stories in the process.
—
Will Leitch, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
The awfulness of it scrapes my veins, turning everything orange and raw.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Will Leitch, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
The awfulness of it scrapes my veins, turning everything orange and raw.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for awfulness
Noun
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Netflix struck gold with Wednesday, the supernatural horror-comedy centered on the sardonically morbid teenage daughter of the Addams Family.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Sep. 2025
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But a heart-wrenching 2016 case report of a boy in Oregon detailed the horrors of what the disease can look like.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Graphic videos of both atrocities spread quickly and widely online this week, appearing in people's social media feeds, often with little-to-no warning.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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Critics have also pointed to the fact that Japanese educational syllabi have long glossed over wartime atrocities like the Nanjing Massacre.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Awfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/awfulness. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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