as in horror
the quality of inspiring intense dread or dismay
the dreadfulness of an oncoming avalanche can scarcely be described
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dreadfulness
Noun
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The project is directed by the late Jeffrey Primm, a lifelong film and horror fan who had long set out to make a feature in the genre.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026 -
The former plantation rejects the rosy antebellum view, focusing instead on slavery’s horrors.—
Catherine Garcia,
TheWeek,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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While many right-wing politicos take issue with Fuentes’ most polarizing positions, such as skepticism about the atrocities committed during the Holocaust, highly influential conservatives including Tucker Carlson have taken an interest in at least some of his views.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
20 Apr. 2026
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The counterargument is that the world is filled with so many visible atrocities right now that a make-believe movie poster seems like the least of our problems.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The relative excitement around the Rockies having arrived in San Diego at 6-6 is a reaction based on their relative awfulness.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Apr. 2026
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And to the abject awfulness of such robber barons as Misters Carnegie, Gould, and Frick.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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No amount of gore or ghastliness is off limits for the series, produced by horror champions Blumhouse, as Nicole Kidman's titular medical examiner pores over the remains of the dead.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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“Dreadfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dreadfulness. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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