dreadfulness

noun

Definition of dreadfulnessnext
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
  1. horror
  2. atrocity
  3. awfulness
  4. ghastliness
  5. hideousness
  6. gruesomeness
Noun
  • This grief-horror debut centers on the Nakba, the 1948 Arab-Israeli War’s displacement of Palestinians.
    — Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • There’s even a nod to 28 Days Later, with Zeta-Jones hobbling across a deserted Westminster Bridge in London wearing blue hospital scrubs, just like Cillian Murphy’s Jim in the 2002 horror movie.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of horror
Noun
  • From the new arrivals, Dresdeners heard the harrowing tales of mass rapes, murders, and atrocities perpetrated by Russian soldiers eager for revenge.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 31 Aug. 2026
  • But a drumbeat of doubt began in Elwood’s head in 2010 on a tour of Sarajevo, where Bosnian-Serb forces had committed atrocities during the war that followed the breakup of Yugoslavia.
    — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of atrocity
Noun
  • In a world so full of dread and awfulness, why not take a moment to read anonymous petty literary gossip on the internet?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Apr. 2026
  • 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
Definition of awfulness
Noun
  • 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
Definition of ghastliness
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
Definition of hideousness
Noun
  • The result is depressingly rizzless for something based on a game famous for its gruesomeness.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 6 May 2026
  • Even early on, before the gruesomeness starts spiraling out of control, Stephen McKeon’s stabbing, head-scrambling score and Peter Albrechtsen’s gut-churning soundscape work overtime to jangle our nerves.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Definition of gruesomeness
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Dreadfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dreadfulness. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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