1
as in horrible
causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment
that's an awful thing to say about someone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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
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
-
And in addition to the swing itself, his overall approach at the plate has always been horrible.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
-
With guidance from Benny’s older sister and her campus-legend boyfriend, Benny and Carmen juggle horrible hookups, flavored vodka, and fake IDs.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
16 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
-
Outside of getting to play a grand slam event in his backyard, Thomas has been downright terrible in the sport's four biggest tournaments.—
Gerrit Ritt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
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
-
So, performance per unit weight isn't terribly far behind copper in that respect.—
Joe Salas
June 10,
New Atlas,
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
-
The beautiful game deserves better than to be played against a backdrop of ugly anti-human rights policies.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
It is filled with many wonderful surprises discoverable to the 200,000-plus visitors who come during the busiest time (November to July) and escapade around its hilly terrain in the signature island vehicle, the mini Moke.—
Melinda Sheckells,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
-
Steve was a wonderful antidote to Miranda, and Joy is a wonderful antidote in a very different way.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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 24 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share