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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of awful
Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 2025
The running game wasn't awful, but Big Blue often found itself in a hole.
—Geoffrey Knox, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
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
Didn’t matter that the defense in front of him was awful.
—Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 2025
The running game wasn't awful, but Big Blue often found itself in a hole.
—Geoffrey Knox, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
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
-
Even with the horrible start the Red Sox still nearly came all the way back, twice drawing to within one run, but the club couldn’t get over the hump.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
3 June 2025
-
Even on a horrible team, someone has to score, get rebounds and assists.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
Here’s a look at his amazing performance. Notes . . .—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
-
Our region also has a number of other destinations that might not necessarily have the Dark Sky designation, but their clear skies, lack of light pollution, or access to astronomical instruments allow visitors to see star clusters, planets, and other amazing features of the night sky.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
8 June 2025
Adjective
-
That this horrific upheaval comes care of Lucy’s work is the real kicker.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
9 June 2025
-
This is what Qasem Hassan had feared from the start—that the horrific violence inflicted on Israelis on October 7th would be used to justify a war without limits, dehumanizing all Palestinians.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
And these are the same Oilers who, after a terrible 6-1 loss in Game 3 to the Panthers, overcame a three-goal deficit in Game 4 to even the series.—
Daniel Nugent-Bowman,
New York Times,
15 June 2025
-
For example, while the IRA rollback effort will inevitably mean a significant reduction in U.S. federal support for electric vehicles, nevertheless the adoption of EVs continued in Q1 even despite a terrible quarter for the U.S.’s leading brand (Tesla).—
Rob Day,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2025
Adverb
-
After its last attempt to take down the Autobots goes terribly awry, he’s booted out of the Decepticons forever.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
12 June 2025
-
As events would soon make clear, that assumption was terribly misguided.—
Vali Nasr,
Foreign Affairs,
10 June 2025
Adjective
-
My goodness, these men wanted to win the U.S. Open with every bit of their being, to finally win a major championship and make this ugly, rainy day worth the battles behind them.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
16 June 2025
-
If his bat is slipping as well, that will be an ugly contract for the Giants.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
Tanja Caldwell designed the wonderful costumes for Mara Block Ali’s Netflix series, Forever.—
Rachel Elspeth Gross,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
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Though not a traditional kids’ movie by any stretch, there’s still a lot of wonderful Dignan-esque scheming involved in Mr. Fox (George Clooney) stealing from the adjoining farms of Boggis, Bunce, and Bean, and the film has the warmth of an old Rankin-Bass production.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
7 June 2025
Adjective
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But Trump and Epstein’s association has been out in the open for nearly a quarter century; nineties-era footage of the gruesome twosome together at Mar-a-Lago, leering at a group of young cheerleaders, has been circulating since at least 2019.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
6 June 2025
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Six decades later, Hamas would engage in a gruesome competition with Fatah to outdo one another with terrorist attacks during the 1990s and early 2000s.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Awful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/awful. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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