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
The film picks up some dreadful energy whenever notorious Gestapo official Klaus Barbie enters the frame.
—
Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
Just like that, the Mets bats are alive after looking dead during a dreadful 12-game skid months ago.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 14 May 2026
Just about the most-surprising thing that happened during our ordeal was that the wolves came up to our very tent flap every night in spite of the dreadful weather.
—Ben East, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2026
Bogaerts has with the Padres generally excelled in the season’s latter months and been dreadful in the early months.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dreadful
Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
Just like that, the Mets bats are alive after looking dead during a dreadful 12-game skid months ago.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 14 May 2026
Just about the most-surprising thing that happened during our ordeal was that the wolves came up to our very tent flap every night in spite of the dreadful weather.
—Ben East, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2026
Bogaerts has with the Padres generally excelled in the season’s latter months and been dreadful in the early months.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dreadful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dreadful
Adjective
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For Orlo Vista residents, the disaster unfolded with terrifying speed.—
Greg Bennett,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 May 2026
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Nicholls opened Rockwater not long after Cyclone Pam, a terrifying storm that churned through Vanuatu and inflicted $600 million in damage.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
Adjective
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Some predict ‘awful consequences’ However, the US has its own specialized network of hospitals that are highly equipped to treat Ebola patients that some experts say would be much better utilized.—
Jamie Gumbrecht,
CNN Money,
27 May 2026
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Lean says the experience had an awful effect on him, filling him with shame and a reluctance to direct again.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
27 May 2026
Adjective
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This season has been horrific for Wolverhampton Wanderers.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
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Padgen, a part of the Tuesday squad, said volunteers typically show up the same day every week and spend about seven hours together, making each squad incredibly close and giving veterans, especially those who have lived through horrific combat, a place to feel understood.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
Adjective
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But today’s wars of words seem designed to fuel intense polarization, not to change minds.—
Lisa Pavia-Higel,
The Conversation,
27 May 2026
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Big tech giants including Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have prioritized growing their chips business to rely less on AI chipmaker Nvidia, who reported a strong first quarter last week, even as competition is getting more intense from rivals including Advanced Micro Devices and Broadcom.—
John Kell,
Fortune,
27 May 2026
Adjective
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The German supermodel attended the event in a brown figure-hugging corset dress with a scalloped neckline and sheer mesh cutouts on the sides, as well as a thigh-high slit and ruching at the hip.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2026
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And that’s not to mention the sheer number of candidates or amount of money pouring into these races this year.—
Linh Tat,
Daily News,
23 May 2026
Adjective
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The concept that menopause is this horrible phase of life goes back some time.—
Torie Bosch,
STAT,
23 May 2026
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Despite Christophe’s many efforts to escape his origins, Clichy never portrays his home front as a horrible place, but rather as a loving household torn apart by financial worry and alcoholism.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
Adjective
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Lemieux was 37, and had a reputation as one of those players who knew where to be, and when, around the ugly areas on the ice in a playoff game.—
Mac Engel
May 29,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 May 2026
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We, viewers and voters, are subjected to very ugly photographs and rhetoric.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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With Chubb and Phillips still on the mend from gruesome injuries the year prior, the then-rookie was thought to be the heir apparent.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2026
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The case has been widely reported by China’s heavily state censored media for the gruesome details of how Xu plotted the murder.—
Sylvie Zhuang,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dreadful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dreadful. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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