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
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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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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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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
-
The terrifying cadence of airstrikes shapes daily life in Tehran.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
But beneath the ice, something terrifying has awakened.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
If the success of a party is measured by the sheer volume of sequins, few could compete with the Conservative Action Political Conference.—
Sarah Bahari,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Mar. 2026
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At various crucial points in the journey, the crew expects to lose contact with mission control because of the sheer distance and physics involved with the flight.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
Gavin Newsom loves to brag about his accomplishments as governor — a syndrome that sometimes backfires when reality raises its ugly head.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Stocks are quickly deteriorating, with each of the major averages on pace to post an ugly month of losses as hopes for a quick resolution to the Middle East conflict gives way to fear.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The gruesome images of tanks blown apart by drones in Ukraine did not dissuade anyone from purchasing these systems.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
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Because of his ability to appeal to jurors with at times folksy explanations of gruesome subjects like the dynamic of blood spatter, prosecution and defense lawyers competed for his testimony at trials.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dreadful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dreadful. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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