1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a dreadful hurricane
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent
dreadful news of a crime wave in the neighborhood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
the dreadful heat of the desert
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in sheer
having no exceptions or restrictions
made a dreadful mess of his first marriage
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dreadful
What a disappointment to have something so joyous tarnished by a dreadful reality where women are being belittled & disrespected for existing.
—
Doha Madani, NBC news, 25 Feb. 2026
Following a dreadful 3-14 season, the Jets have plenty of holes to fill.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026
Many travelers at Detroit Metro Airport are packing some extra patience with much uncertainty at the gate due to the nationwide dreadful winter weather.
—Julia Avant, CBS News, 25 Jan. 2026
For New Englanders, shoveling snow is an all-too-familiar task, yet still a dreadful one.
—Catherine Messier, The Providence Journal, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dreadful
Doha Madani, NBC news, 25 Feb. 2026
Following a dreadful 3-14 season, the Jets have plenty of holes to fill.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026
Many travelers at Detroit Metro Airport are packing some extra patience with much uncertainty at the gate due to the nationwide dreadful winter weather.
—Julia Avant, CBS News, 25 Jan. 2026
For New Englanders, shoveling snow is an all-too-familiar task, yet still a dreadful one.
—Catherine Messier, The Providence Journal, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dreadful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dreadful
Adjective
-
Lisa Piper stood on her back deck and took video of a terrifying scene that played out on the other side of frozen Union Lake as a funnel cloud formed and then dropped toward the ground Friday.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
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Lisa Piper stood on her back deck and took video of a terrifying scene that played out on the other side of frozen Union Lake as a funnel cloud formed and then dropped toward the ground.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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My reaction was silence and determination to make sure common sense prevailed to make sure her senior son, Jake, a top pitcher who transferred from Palm Desert to Rancho Christian, had this continuing stress resolved after an already awful ordeal engulfed him and his parents for months.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
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The bullpen…what are the Texas Rangers going to do about another potentially awful bullpen?—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Magnano then fires nine shots toward Jones, who immediately collapses to the ground as people in the area could be heard letting out horrific screams and cries.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
2 Mar. 2026
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The trolling and harassment members of our community have endured in the past few days has been horrific.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The tempo of the strikes on Iran was so intense that state television announced that public mourning for Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the start of the conflict, would be postponed.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Noem received a warm welcome from Republicans and intense criticism from Democrats.—
March 4,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In the end, his sheer inattention to your pleasure was what made the decision for you.—
Addie Citchens,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
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Much of the buildout is being paid for with operating cash flows, but the sheer magnitude of the spending has prompted companies to shake up the calculus by bridging the gap between capex and free cash flow with bonds.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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After the horrible murder of Rob Reiner and his wife, legions of fans revisited to the director’s films, and this is one of his best.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
5 Mar. 2026
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But today, the building is in horrible shape.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Perhaps the most ugly truth of human spaceflight is that the ISS is old and its days are numbered.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
6 Mar. 2026
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Okay, let’s get into the other good, bad, and ugly from episode 2 of Survivor 50, and — shameless plug alert!—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The moment causes Byron, a selfish and braggadocious villain, to have a change of heart, stopping shipments of The Beauty and paying off the families ravaged by its gruesome side effects, like Bella’s.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
5 Mar. 2026
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The gruesome discovery would eventually lead authorities to a third woman, in her 80s, killed a few towns over, triggering a manhunt across several states and prompting a two-day closure of schools in Wayne County.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dreadful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dreadful. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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