Dreadful — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈdred-fəl/ dread·ful

Meaning & Definition of Dreadful

Dreadful (adjective)

  1. inspiring dread, causing great and oppressive fear
  2. inspiring awe or reverence
  3. extremely bad, distasteful, unpleasant, or shocking

Dreadful (noun)

  1. a cheap and sensational story or periodical

Dreadful (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. causing fear

    "a dreadful hurricane"

    similar: alarming, dire, direful, dread, fearful, fearsome, forbidding, formidable, frightening, frightful, ghastly, hair-raising, horrendous, horrible, horrifying, intimidating, redoubtable, scary, shocking, spine-chilling, terrible, terrifying
    related: daunting, demoralizing, disconcerting, discouraging, dismaying, disquieting, distressing, disturbing, perturbing, startling, threatening, troubling, trying, unnerving, bone-chilling, creepy, eerie, weird, appalling, atrocious, awful, grisly, gruesome, hideous, horrid, macabre, monstrous, nightmarish
    near: calming, comforting, consoling, inviting, lulling, pacifying, quieting, reassuring, relaxing, soothing, tranquilizing, nonintimidating, nonthreatening

  2. causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment

    "a dreadful performance of a beautiful piece of music"

    similar: abhorrent, abominable, appalling, awful, disgusting, distasteful, evil, foul, fulsome, gross, hideous, horrendous, horrible, horrid, loathsome, nasty, nauseating, nauseous, noisome, noxious, obnoxious, obscene, odious, offensive, rancid, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, scandalous, shocking, sickening, ugly
    related: exceptionable, objectionable, brackish, disagreeable, dislikable, unpleasant, contemptible, despicable, detestable, hard, hateful, unhealthy, unsavory, unwholesome, execrable, lousy, miserable, atrocious, frightful, ghastly, grim, grisly, gruesome, heinous, horrific, horrifying, lurid, macabre, monstrous, nightmarish, sick, sickish, sickly, terrible, unspeakable, vile, off-putting, undesirable, unwanted, unwelcome, barbarous, unchristian, uncivilized, ungodly, unholy, distressing, disturbing, upsetting
    opposite: innocuous, inoffensive
    near: acceptable, agreeable, alluring, appealing, attractive, blessed, congenial, darling, delectable, delicious, delightful, delightsome, desirable, dreamy, dulcet, enjoyable, felicitous, gratifying, heavenly, inviting, likable, luscious, nice, palatable, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable, satisfying, savory, sweet, welcome, unexceptionable, unobjectionable, healthful, healthy, restorative, salubrious, salutary, wholesome

  3. extremely disturbing or repellent

    "dreadful news of a crime wave in the neighborhood"

    similar: appalling, atrocious, awful, frightful, ghastly, grisly, gruesome, hideous, horrendous, horrible, horrid, horrific, horrifying, lurid, macabre, monstrous, nightmare, nightmarish, shocking, terrible, terrific
    related: alarming, bloodcurdling, dire, direful, fearful, fearsome, forbidding, formidable, frightening, gut-wrenching, hair-raising, heart-stopping, intimidating, redoubtable, scary, terrifying, abhorrent, deplorable, disagreeable, disgusting, distasteful, loathsome, nauseating, noisome, obnoxious, obscene, offensive, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, sickening, abominable, evil, foul, heinous, noxious, odious, unspeakable, vile, grotesque, ugly, unsightly
    near: agreeable, appealing, attractive, delectable, delicious, delightful, enjoyable, enticing, inviting, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable, satisfying, welcome, cheering, comforting, soothing

  4. extreme in degree, power, or effect

    "the dreadful heat of the desert"

    similar: acute, almighty, blistering, deep, excruciating, explosive, exquisite, fearful, fearsome, ferocious, fierce, frightful, furious, ghastly, hard, heavy, heavy-duty, hellacious, intense, intensive, keen, profound, terrible, vehement, vicious, violent
    related: accentuated, aggravated, concentrated, deepened, emphasized, enhanced, heightened, intensified, magnified, stressed, exhaustive, thorough, harsh, rigorous, severe
    opposite: light, moderate, soft
    near: feeble, weak, shallow, superficial, moderated, qualified, alleviated, eased, lightened, toned (down), abated, decreased, diminished, lessened, reduced, subdued

  5. having no exceptions or restrictions

    "made a dreadful mess of his first marriage"

    similar: absolute, all-out, arrant, blank, blooming (chiefly British), bodacious (Southern & Midland), categorical, clean, complete, consummate, crashing, damn, damned, dead, deadly, definite, downright, fair, flat, flat-out, out-and-out, outright, perfect, plumb, profound, pure, rank, regular, sheer, simple, stark, stone, straight-out, thorough, thoroughgoing, total, unadulterated, unalloyed, unconditional, unmitigated, unqualified, utter, very
    related: authentic, classic, genuine, real, veritable, constant, endless, eternal, perpetual, undying, unremitting, extreme, unrestricted, confirmed, habitual, hopeless, inveterate, extraordinary, frightful, horrible, huge, main, superlative, supreme, surpassing, terrible, terrific
    near: doubtful, dubious, equivocal, qualified, questionable, restricted, uncertain

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Dreadful

The most common words with a similar meaning to Dreadful:

Chiefly British: blooming
Southern & Midland: bodacious
alarming, dire, direful, dread, fearful, fearsome, forbidding, formidable, frightening, frightful, ghastly, hair-raising, horrendous, horrible, horrifying, intimidating, redoubtable, scary, shocking, spine-chilling, terrible, terrifying, abhorrent, abominable, appalling, awful, disgusting, distasteful, evil, foul, fulsome, gross, hideous, horrid, loathsome, nasty, nauseating, nauseous, noisome, noxious

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Dreadful

Words with the opposite meaning of Dreadful:

innocuous, inoffensive, light, moderate, soft

Related Words for Dreadful

daunting, demoralizing, disconcerting, discouraging, dismaying, disquieting, distressing, disturbing, perturbing, startling, threatening, troubling, trying, unnerving, bone-chilling, creepy, eerie, weird, exceptionable, objectionable, brackish, disagreeable, dislikable, unpleasant, contemptible, despicable, detestable, hateful, unhealthy, unsavory

Near Antonyms of Dreadful

calming, comforting, consoling, inviting, lulling, pacifying, quieting, reassuring, relaxing, soothing, tranquilizing, nonintimidating, nonthreatening, acceptable, agreeable, alluring, appealing, attractive, blessed, congenial, darling, delectable, delicious, delightful, delightsome, desirable, dreamy, dulcet, enjoyable, felicitous

Word Forms of Dreadful

Derived words: dreadfully (adverb), dreadfulness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Dreadful

First known use: 13th century

Words & Phrases Containing Dreadful

penny dreadful

Frequently Asked Questions about Dreadful

What does "Dreadful" mean?

"Dreadful" means inspiring dread, causing great and oppressive fear. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: inspiring dread, causing great and oppressive fear. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Dreadful"?

Other words for "Dreadful" include alarming, dire, direful, dread, fearful, fearsome, forbidding and formidable. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Dreadful" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Dreadful"?

There are 219 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Dreadful". Common alternatives include alarming, dire, direful, dread, fearful, fearsome, forbidding, formidable, frightening and frightful.

What is the opposite of "Dreadful"?

Antonyms of "Dreadful" include innocuous, inoffensive, light, moderate and soft. Near antonyms include calming, comforting, consoling and inviting.

How do you use "Dreadful" in a sentence?

Examples of "Dreadful" in a sentence: "a dreadful hurricane"; "a dreadful performance of a beautiful piece of music"; "dreadful news of a crime wave in the neighborhood".

Is "Dreadful" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Dreadful" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Dreadful"?

"Dreadful" is pronounced /ˈdred-fəl/ and divided into syllables as dread·ful.

What is the origin of the word "Dreadful"?

First known use: 13th century.