1
as in horrible
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
that's an awful thing to say about someone
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in amazing
causing wonder or astonishment
the awful power of Niagara Falls
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent
spare me the awful details of the murder
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in terrible
extremely unsatisfactory
I can't believe I spent good money to see that movie—it was awful
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in terribly
to a great degree
that's awful sweet of you
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of awful
New Atlas, 19 May 2026
Players who are in strong lineups on teams prone to having awful lineups on the floor in the same games are prone to having skewed impact numbers.
—Law Murray, New York Times, 18 May 2026
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 26 May 2022
First, there is the question whether the awful-looking restraint maneuver Chauvin used was actually authorized at the time, or at least not clearly forbidden.
—D.j. Tice, Star Tribune, 20 Feb. 2021
See All Example Sentences for awful
Adjective
Next up, the suspension, which honestly already does an awful lot on production Beemers like the R 1300 GS and GSA.
—New Atlas, 19 May 2026
Players who are in strong lineups on teams prone to having awful lineups on the floor in the same games are prone to having skewed impact numbers.
—Law Murray, New York Times, 18 May 2026
Adverb
Someone who has worked awful hard, has a great skill set, four years of college, four years of lifting, four years of game-planning at a high level in Division III.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 26 May 2022
First, there is the question whether the awful-looking restraint maneuver Chauvin used was actually authorized at the time, or at least not clearly forbidden.
—D.j. Tice, Star Tribune, 20 Feb. 2021
See All Example Sentences for awful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for awful
Adjective
-
Which is horrible, just that amount of women being murdered.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
17 May 2026
-
Hmmm, a book about climate change, economic hardship, labor shortages, rising food prices, and a family having a horrible time?—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
The novel follows what this does to them, and to the next generation; with some amazing historical detail, and lessons every bit as relevant today as in the 50s.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
-
And while astronauts are generally incredibly capable and talented, NASA's astronauts aren't amazing photographers by accident.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
And also, the way that the wish is impacting Bear is ultimately horrific.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
18 May 2026
-
But a new era of DEI was ushered in after the horrific murder of George Floyd.—
Janice Gassam Asare,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
Residents describe ‘a terrible night’ More than 30 people were injured in the apartment building collapse, while emergency workers rescued 28 residents, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.—
Samya Kullab,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
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And some were not kind to him on social media following the terrible first round.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Adverb
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Second, the only games the Spurs have lost in this series are when either Wemby has played terribly or gotten thrown out of the game.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
-
But even doing very little can still go terribly wrong.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
But there is a right to be concerned about Levshunov after an ugly 2025-26.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
-
Between archival footage and photos of Lennon and Ono, there are dozens of jarring, ugly visuals, seemingly generated by entering Ono and Lennon’s dialogue into a machine that spits out bizarrely literal interpretations of text.—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
22 May 2026
Adjective
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The aesthetic is going to go a lot of different places across Season 8, too, including two episodes in the round and the finale, which Badner wouldn’t dare spoil but is proud of the wonderful collaboration between the production design, camera, and lighting teams.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
19 May 2026
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Shrubs, such as American filbert (Corylus americana), are a wonderful way to add interest to your landscape throughout multiple seasons.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
19 May 2026
Adjective
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The teens recorded their attack Monday and the gruesome 10 minute video was widely shared to a website where people post videos depicting extreme violence.—
Anna Schecter,
CBS News,
20 May 2026
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Similarly economical and granularly detailed is a 20-minute sequence in the middle of the film that’s gruesome, comical and crucial to the propulsion of the story.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Awful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/awful. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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