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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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
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And Brundage ensures that his readers will not dismiss the record of prison atrocities.—
Drew Gilpin Faust,
The Atlantic,
8 Feb. 2026
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The Buckley case spawned other loopholes from Congress and the courts over the years, directly culminating in the 2010 atrocity of the Citizens United case.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There is no way to sugarcoat the awfulness of those months of anxiety.—
Kate Callen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
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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
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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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Cite this Entry
“Dreadfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dreadfulness. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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