dreadful

adjective

ˈdred-fəl How to pronounce dreadful (audio)
Definition of dreadfulnext
1
as in terrifying
causing fear a dreadful hurricane

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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

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.
Recent Examples of dreadful Much of that came in a dreadful first half, where the Bills scored touchdowns on their first four possessions and the Lions' defense looked incapable of stopping anything. — Christian Romo, Freep.com, 18 Sep. 2026 But that’s no excuse for the Rams’ dreadful performance on offense against the 49ers. — Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026 After a dreadful offensive start to his season, Devers has been one of the Giants’ few bright spots for months. — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026 The dreadful sights of September 11th took on a surreal edge. — Robert Stone, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dreadful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dreadful
  1. terrifying
  2. awful
  3. horrific
  4. intense
  5. sheer
  6. horrible
  7. ugly
  8. gruesome
Adjective
  • Even so, returning to college was terrifying after ongoing health crises led to academic failure.
    — Alexis Lariviere, Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The lycanthropy saga, set in an English village in the 13th century, stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson as a man who undergoes terrifying transformations into a werewolf each full moon.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of terrifying
Adjective
  • He was held back by something else, a feeling that some awful truth about his familiar, beloved world was now being revealed to him.
    — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
  • His death was already sudden and awful, and the call was jarring and unexpected.
    — Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of awful
Adjective
  • He will be punished, defense says Facing the jury, Brenner said they will be exposed to horrific photographs that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026
  • In truly horrific news, a Frankfort mom is accused of killing her 2-year-old son after allegedly following the trial of Lindsay Clancy with great interest.
    — Hilary Gowins, Chicago Tribune, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of horrific
Adjective
  • The coalition led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's Socialists announced the new measures earlier Tuesday, after four days of intense protests centered around an encampment in Puerta del Sol, Madrid's most iconic plaza.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Consequently, the resulting economic stimulus, inflationary pressure, and intense competition for capital could propel the 10 year US Treasury yield toward a high of 6% before next January.
    — , CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of intense
Adjective
  • Known as the Shark Bay UNESCO World Heritage Site, the place gets its name from English buccaneer-cum-naturalist William Dampier, who was overcome by the bay’s sheer abundance and the size of the marine predators during a visit in 1699.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Through the sheer force of his will and his brilliant comedic timing, Bratton was elevated to a cast member by the second season.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of sheer
Adjective
  • Hill is a free agent after a horrible injury suffered last season.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Ashley Flynn’s sister, Kayla Keyt, said during her victim statement that her family could not overcome their sense of shock and despair after learning that Flynn betrayed them in such a violent and horrible way.
    — Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • That's on the heels of a 41-7 blowout at Northwestern that was ugly enough for Deion Sanders to dismiss a handful of players for conduct detrimental to the team days later.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • In a world where (good, bad and ugly) answers and options are available, an employer needs a workforce that understands the business objectives and can weed through the noise to identify and execute the best solution.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of ugly
Adjective
  • The gruesome 2023 murder of Choi, who rubbed shoulders with showbiz elites at fashion events and had a significant following online, sent shockwaves through the wealthy financial hub and made global headlines.
    — Chris Lau, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
  • High-scoring winger Kevin Fiala, meanwhile, will miss the first couple of months, at least, after experiencing a setback in his return from a gruesome leg injury sustained at the Milan-Cortina Olympics.
    — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of gruesome

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Cite this Entry

“Dreadful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dreadful. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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