as in dreadfulness
the quality of inspiring intense dread or dismay
horror films that seem to be trying to outdo one another in the repulsiveness of their monsters
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repulsiveness
Noun
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The plot attends both to twentieth-century horrors, such as Ukraine’s Holodomor, and to what Reed saw coming, in social media’s incessant threat to our inner life.—
Stephanie Burt,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026 -
In the horror sequel, Josh Hutcherson and Elizabeth Lail return to face new foes as well the old murderous animatronic animals of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Supporters of both sides have spread bogus images of atrocities or decisive victories that never happened.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
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The war has been marked by atrocities including mass killings, gang rape and other crimes, which are being investigated by the International Criminal Court as potential war crimes and crimes against humanity.—
Samy Magdy,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Perhaps its incorporation of vogue ideas dazzles critics who might otherwise discern its awfulness (Amazon’s Transparent).—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
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There is no way to sugarcoat the awfulness of those months of anxiety.—
Kate Callen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Jan. 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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Cite this Entry
“Repulsiveness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repulsiveness. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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