1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a dreadful hurricane
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in awful
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
a dreadful performance of a beautiful piece of music
Synonyms & Similar Words
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3
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent
dreadful news of a crime wave in the neighborhood
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
the dreadful heat of the desert
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5
as in sheer
having no exceptions or restrictions
made a dreadful mess of his first marriage
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dreadful
It’s been difficult for the Mavericks to win this season because of their injury woes and dreadful offense, largely the result of personnel.
—
Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 17 Mar. 2026
When the Chiefs finished the 2025 season with that dreadful 14-12 loss to the Raiders, many fans worried Travis Kelce would be retiring from football.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2026
Before that, Smith’s play was dreadful after passing for 5,962 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 36 interceptions in four seasons for the Jets.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
Aston Martin’s misery continued after a dreadful preseason marked by car problems, with both drivers — Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll — failing to complete race distance.
—Sahil Kapur, NBC news, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dreadful
Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 17 Mar. 2026
When the Chiefs finished the 2025 season with that dreadful 14-12 loss to the Raiders, many fans worried Travis Kelce would be retiring from football.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2026
Before that, Smith’s play was dreadful after passing for 5,962 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 36 interceptions in four seasons for the Jets.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
Aston Martin’s misery continued after a dreadful preseason marked by car problems, with both drivers — Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll — failing to complete race distance.
—Sahil Kapur, NBC news, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dreadful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dreadful
Adjective
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What was John thinking before the surface of the water appeared before his windshield, rushing forward at terrifying speed?—
Jeffrey Eugenides,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2026
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As The Boys presents a terrifying dystopia under Homelander (Antony Starr) in the fifth and final season, Eric Kripke recently noted that any narrative similarities to our current dystopia are purely coincidental.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The timing is awful, as Rodon was scheduled to make a rehab start with the Yankees' Double-A affiliate.—
Logan Brown,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
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The Broncos were awful on the ground.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The horrific shooting has rocked the Plainville community, with its reverberations being felt throughout the state.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
30 Mar. 2026
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A lot of his struggles stemmed from the Raiders’ horrific offensive line.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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For the seventh year in a row, Walmart captured more money from Charlotte-area shoppers than any other grocery store, despite intense competition from local grocers like Harris Teeter and Food Lion.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Apr. 2026
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Graves’ exit has sparked intense speculation about his potential successor to represent Missouri’s 6th Congressional District, which stretches across northern Missouri and touches Kansas City’s Northland.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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On the Base — the area above the sheer cliffs that encircle Tristan and below Queen Mary’s Peak — a group herds sheep down from the mountain.—
NPR,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026
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What’s harder to recreate — especially with today’s labor and materials costs — is the level of craftsmanship and the sheer weight of the build, Sadek said.—
David Caraccio
April 4,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This is going to be a horrible, terrible, no-good, very bad day.—
Nathan Rott,
NPR,
27 Mar. 2026
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In another case, a 10-year-old girl contracted horrible lesions on 10 percent of her body — mostly on her legs — after contact with giant hogweed.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The outcome was already decided – an ugly display of basketball that was never competitive – but potentially losing Doncic proverbially sucked the oxygen out of the visitors’ locker room after the game.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
3 Apr. 2026
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Featuring the good, the bad and the ugly, ‘Look of the Week’ is a regular series dedicated to unpacking the most talked about outfit of the last seven days.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Getting cleared of a gruesome crime has boosted his social cache in his upper-class neighborhood of Westmont Village, a fictional New York suburb.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
3 Apr. 2026
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And in another gruesome moment, there is a frightening shot of dozens of wedding guests covered in blood, with bodies strewn across a banquet hall.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dreadful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dreadful. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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