as in horror
the quality of inspiring intense dread or dismay
the dreadfulness of an oncoming avalanche can scarcely be described
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dreadfulness
Noun
-
Gibney’s film doesn’t ease into it at all, opening with a clip of the attack, squarely dropping us into the horror of it.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
3 Feb. 2026 -
The evening promised a few local art vendors and a mystery screening of a 1980s horror movie.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
All three play key roles in the library scene—in which Walker’s revolutionaries, seeking justice for a racial atrocity, hold Morgan’s collection hostage—but none had visited the real thing, on Thirty-sixth Street.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The city saw some of the terror group’s worst atrocities.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There is no way to sugarcoat the awfulness of those months of anxiety.—
Kate Callen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Traditionally a dumping ground for films studios have no belief in, the first month of the year occasionally offers up films that stand out, whether due to memeability, genuine quality, or sheer rancid awfulness.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
What makes your own skin crawl isn’t just the hideousness of the violence but the unblinking matter-of-factness with which DaCosta films it.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
16 Jan. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Dreadfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dreadfulness. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
