1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a dreadful hurricane
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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
Conditions for the civilians remaining in areas occupied by Russia are often dreadful.
—
Dave Lawler, Axios, 24 Feb. 2025
Crochet enjoyed a breakout season in an otherwise dreadful year for the 121-loss White Sox, posting a 3.58 ERA with 209 strikeouts and just 33 walks across 32 starts.
—D.j. Short, NBC News, 24 Feb. 2025
The Rossoneri have been in dreadful form as of late, and their latest defeat could spell the beginning of the end for the Portuguese coach.
—Emmet Gates, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
The team made only five of its 28 3-point attempts Tuesday; after that dreadful performance, the Magic have made a league-worst 30.4 percent of their long-range shots this season.
—Josh Robbins, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dreadful
Dave Lawler, Axios, 24 Feb. 2025
Crochet enjoyed a breakout season in an otherwise dreadful year for the 121-loss White Sox, posting a 3.58 ERA with 209 strikeouts and just 33 walks across 32 starts.
—D.j. Short, NBC News, 24 Feb. 2025
The Rossoneri have been in dreadful form as of late, and their latest defeat could spell the beginning of the end for the Portuguese coach.
—Emmet Gates, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
The team made only five of its 28 3-point attempts Tuesday; after that dreadful performance, the Magic have made a league-worst 30.4 percent of their long-range shots this season.
—Josh Robbins, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dreadful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dreadful
Adjective
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Back in August, Renner spoke about how his terrifying snowplow accident in January 2023 led to his daughter becoming a little more independent.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Prehistoric insects encased in amber reveal a terrifying evolutionary road that dead-ended sometime after the mid-Cretaceous period.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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To have hate at such a young age for another student is awful.—
Kellie Love,
Hartford Courant,
21 Mar. 2025
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But against lefties, while hitting from the righty batter's box, Cabrera has been downright awful, with a .562 OPS and anemic .209 batting average in 187 career plate appearances.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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While the defense in front of him remained very much horrific in Buffalo, Jarry was not good.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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In court documents, prosecutors described it as one of the most horrific incidents to occur in Las Cruces, located about 40 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The sun has once again unleashed a powerful solar flare, continuing its streak of intense activity.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
1 Apr. 2025
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Ricky Steamboat From Clash Of The Champions 6 The intense rivalry between Ricky Steamboat and Flair produced some of the most celebrated matches in professional wrestling history.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This semi sheer curtain panel is an ideal solution for anyone who’s looking to filter in light without sacrificing privacy.—
Megan Schaltegger,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 Mar. 2025
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The film captures the sheer physical toll of the journey, with men battling not just the elements but each other, as fear and desperation set in.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Lillard’s blood clot diagnosis continues a horrible stretch of injuries that has limited the Bucks’ ability to chase postseason glory since the Bucks ended the franchise’s 50-year championship drought by winning the 2021 NBA title.—
Sam Amick,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
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Those plans are HMOs and many of us remember how horrible those were, denying service, or stalling approval.—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Plus, with fewer games, an ugly two weeks in the NBA usually signals a five-alarm fire and overreactions.—
Shane Young,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome had form on the bike that was frequently described as ugly.—
Liam Tharme,
The Athletic,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Watkins immediately received a flood of support on social media after the gruesome injury, as athletes and analysts from around the sports world chimed in with well wishes.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Following the gruesome discovery, an arrest warrant was issued for Jones, charging him with murder.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dreadful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dreadful. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.
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