awful 1 of 2

adjective

ˈȯ-fəl How to pronounce awful (audio)
Definition of awfulnext
1
as in horrible
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment that's an awful thing to say about someone

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in amazing
causing wonder or astonishment the awful power of Niagara Falls

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent spare me the awful details of the murder

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in terrible
extremely unsatisfactory I can't believe I spent good money to see that movie—it was awful

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

awful

2 of 2

adverb

as in terribly
to a great degree that's awful sweet of you

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of awful
Adjective
Max also smelled awful, could barely walk and had about nine to 10 wounds on his body, according to the document. — Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 25 June 2026 One year Pippa Middleton faced the awful shame of having to sit in a normal seat after showing up late. — Nick Miller, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Adverb
The following day, Gonzalez was back at the testing site, helping patients — many of whom had fevers and awful-sounding coughs — fill out their paperwork. — Karen Ann Cullotta, chicagotribune.com, 2 Oct. 2020 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 See All Example Sentences for awful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for awful
  1. horrible
  2. amazing
  3. horrific
  4. terrible
  5. terribly
  6. ugly
  7. wonderful
  8. gruesome
Adjective
  • And obviously, slavery was a terrible thing, and that was horrible.
    — Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026
  • Horton, who married Rickman in 2012 in a private ceremony after more than 40 years together, also told the outlet that the diagnosis had been a horrible shock to them both.
    — Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 29 June 2026
Definition of horrible
Adjective
  • The eighth-floor outdoor pool has amazing views, and the hotel sits in walking distance of shops and restaurants.
    — Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 30 June 2026
  • The director, 68, and the action star, 78, worked together on 1996's Eraser, with both wanting to deliver an amazing action movie.
    — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
Definition of amazing
Adjective
  • Chicago city officials have never forgotten the lessons of the historic and horrific heat wave of July 1995, which killed 739 people in the Chicago area.
    — Darius Johnson, CBS News, 29 June 2026
  • Many of these countries are well known for horrific human rights abuses, lack of justice and abysmal detention conditions.
    — Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026
Definition of horrific
Adjective
  • Thank you to everyone who read or contributed to this column over the years, who reached out to me with story ideas or tips, or complimented my terrible artwork.
    — Zach Wichter, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • Visitors will see his Rough Riders uniform; the 1884 diary grieving his terrible loss; and the eyeglasses case, speech and shirt from the 1912 assassination attempt against him.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Definition of terrible
Adverb
  • But everyone on the Spurs shot terribly from deep in the clutch.
    — Jared Weiss, New York Times, 29 June 2026
  • Wonderfully and terribly, everything does happen for Maddie after her adoring bear of a husband, Jake (Eric Rahill), makes a cooking video of her that goes massively viral.
    — Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
Definition of terribly
Adjective
  • Lasko’s teammate, Devin Taylor, was able to get up and field the rolling ball that split the two defenders, but Lasko stayed on the ground in what was a pretty ugly crash.
    — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • His ability to perform a cesarean section — something Doc couldn't dream of — forces the town to reckon with an ugly part of their collective conscience.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 July 2026
Definition of ugly
Adjective
  • The animals, the cool weather and the wonderful people of this region made for a memorable trip.
    — Sheah Rarback, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
  • Bat boxes are a wonderful addition to your yard for attracting bats and giving them a safe place to live.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 2 July 2026
Definition of wonderful
Adjective
  • Chris Brown was found liable by a Los Angeles jury on Tuesday for $13 million in the gruesome case of a dog that mauled and disfigured his housekeeper at his home in 2020.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 1 July 2026
  • But as the days dragged on, headlines about power outages and water shortages took a back seat to a far more gruesome and horrific reality.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Definition of gruesome

Browse Nearby Words

awestruck
awful
awfully
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Cite this Entry

“Awful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/awful. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of awful for Spanish Speakers

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