1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a dreadful hurricane
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in awful
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
a dreadful performance of a beautiful piece of music
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3
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent
dreadful news of a crime wave in the neighborhood
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4
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
the dreadful heat of the desert
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5
as in sheer
having no exceptions or restrictions
made a dreadful mess of his first marriage
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dreadful
Plus, a three-week road trip sounds dreadful.
—
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2025
Obeid is an emblem of a dreadful war, and Salah’s post highlighted how football has been quiet in addressing it.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
The stock market’s run to all-time highs after a dreadful spring sell-off has many on the Street feeling good about equities.
—Fred Imbert, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2025
Should be a dreadful time when Wednesday season two returns on September 2.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dreadful
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2025
Obeid is an emblem of a dreadful war, and Salah’s post highlighted how football has been quiet in addressing it.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
The stock market’s run to all-time highs after a dreadful spring sell-off has many on the Street feeling good about equities.
—Fred Imbert, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2025
Should be a dreadful time when Wednesday season two returns on September 2.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dreadful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dreadful
Adjective
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These shifting climates intimately shaped the biosphere over this span (and vice versa), and in occasional terrifying pulses, threatened to end it.—
Peter Brannen,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
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That was a terrifying last four days.—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But one other thing Reclaim does is show just how awful the Portal system is.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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How the Dolphins grow from such an awful performance will be paramount.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Right-wing politicians have long used horrific crime stories – particularly those featuring Black suspects and White victims – to make broader criticisms of Democrats as soft on crime.—
Wesley Bruer,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
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The surveillance footage of the horrific attack was released by the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) over the weekend, FOX News reported.—
Christine Pelisek,
People.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Pyongyang has continued to exercise significant control over the population and severely restrict the rights and freedoms of its population, and that has only gotten more intense over the last decade.—
Mike Brest,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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This question — which strikes at the heart of a perennial issue in American politics, frequently reignited by recurring mass shootings — sparked an intense partisan divide.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The strapless corset gown had a sheer illusion jacket embellished with pearls, and was paired with a cathedral veil.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
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Clad in a chain-mail dress with sheer stripes and waist-length hair, Wilson's appearance during the Chris Habana show was greeted with raucous applause.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Can a horrible 17-year-old turn into a 31-year-old person with integrity and empathy?—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
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Can a 17-year-old horrible person turn into a 31-year-old person with integrity and empathy?—
R. Eric Thomas,
Denver Post,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The only debate is which of his five interceptions against LSU was the ugliest and/or costliest in a 20-10 loss.—
David Ubben,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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The results were ugly and caused lasting damage to our citizens' livelihoods and our city's reputation.—
Ted Wheeler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But everything changes when a string of gruesome killings—which grow increasingly bizarre, with victims covered in rashes and found in deranged, violent states—involves his young daughter Hyo-jin (Kim Hwan-hee).—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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TikTok prohibits gory, gruesome or extremely violent clips.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dreadful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dreadful. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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