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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3
as in horrific
extremely disturbing or repellent
spare me the awful details of the murder
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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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as in terribly
to a great degree
that's awful sweet of you
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of awful
Lee Alan Dugatkin, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2024
While the Panthers have been objectively awful nearly every week this season, New Orleans has not been much better since its surprising 2-0 start.
—Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
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
By the time of our visit, that house had fallen into an awful state of disrepair, but despite the fact there was more than two feet of snow on the ground, Trut—who stood barely five feet tall herself—insisted on leading us there to give us a tour through the frigid ruins of the building.
—Lee Alan Dugatkin, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2024
While the Panthers have been objectively awful nearly every week this season, New Orleans has not been much better since its surprising 2-0 start.
—Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
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
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Give Back To Maui After the horrible 2023 wildfires in Maui, The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua reopened on October 8, 2023, and it’s been going strong and welcoming guests with open arms since then.Robin Raven, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
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This is also a great matchup against a horrible Jaguars passing defense.David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Don't miss out on these amazing savings to enhance your workflow and keep your data safe while on the go.Shubham Yewale, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
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Thank you to Taylor and the Swift family for the amazing memories that will never be forgotten.Jack Irvin, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Goldberg's words come over a year after The View began an unrelenting battle with gaseous entities, following a horrific water spillage (and mysterious fart noise of unknown origin) that plagued the Hot Topics table in January 2023.EW.com, EW.com, 5 Nov. 2024
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Travis and Jason are clearly very close with one another, and the fan that hurled such a horrific thing led to Jason reacting in a very angry manner.James Brizuela, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Meanwhile Kelly Oubre, who was terrible with the Warriors, has found success with Philadelphia.Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
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Elsbeth and Kaya are suspicious of Roselyn, even after Valentina’s quick assessment — supported by the medical examiner — that Claude’s death was a terrible accident.Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
Adverb
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But there is something terribly wrong with a friend who brings an uninvited guest, especially one who openly criticizes the host and the food.Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
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From a chemical perspective, the extraction, synthesis, or compounding of those medications is not terribly technically difficult.Jorge Just, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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George Kittle On the ugly game: Being able to deal with all of that and still come out with a win.Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
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Poor Sue, who wins the challenge and has to wear that ugly bat signal around her neck.Brian Moylan, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Then there’s Cleo’s nervy 30-something daughter, Grace — the wonderful Zoë Geltman — who’s always been the good girl but whose loins are newly afire for her brother-in-law, Roy (Gabriel Brown).Sara Holdren, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
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The box includes only a USB-A-to-USB-C cable for charging. Sound: Powerful Bass and Clean Highs Simply put, the Bose SoundLink Home sounds wonderful.PCMAG, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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One popular, gruesome theory has it that a truck ran her over and then sped away, but what happened for sure, no one can tell.Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
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Before his gruesome leg injury, the 24-year-old pass-rusher was on pace to secure an NFL Defensive Player of the Year trophy.Jesse Reed, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near awful
Cite this Entry
“Awful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/awful. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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