dreadful (ˈdrɛdfʊl
)
Definitions
adjective
- extremely disagreeable, shocking, or bad ⇒
what a dreadful play
- (intensifier) ⇒
this is a dreadful waste of time
- causing dread; terrifying
- archaic inspiring awe
Alternative Forms
ˈdreadfulness nounSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
terrible,
shocking,
awful,
alarming,
distressing,
appalling,
tragic,
horrible,
formidable,
fearful,
dire,
horrendous,
hideous,
monstrous,
from hell,
grievous,
atrocious,
frightful,
godawful,
hellacious,
Translations
- British English:
dreadful
If you say that something is dreadful, you mean that it is very unpleasant or very poor in quality.They told us the dreadful news.ˈdrɛdfʊl ADJECTIVE They told us the dreadful news.
- Spanish:
espantoso
adj espantosa
- French:
abominable
adj
- German:
fürchterlich
adj
- Chinese: 可怕的 adj
- Arabic: مُرَوِّع adj
- Portuguese: terrível adj
- Russian: страшный adj страшная
- Croatian: grozan adj grozna
- Czech: příšerný adj
- Danish: skrækkelig adj
- Dutch: afschuwelijk adj
- Finnish: kauhea adj
- Greek: απαίσιος adj απαίσια
- Italian: terribile adj
- Japanese: 恐ろしい adj
- Korean: 몹시 싫은 adj
- Norwegian: skrekkelig adj
- Polish: straszny adj straszna
- Brazilian Portuguese: terrível adj
- European Spanish:
espantoso
adj espantosa
- Swedish: förskräcklig adj förskräckligt
- Thai: น่าสะพึงกลัว adj
- Turkish: korkunç adj
- Vietnamese: dễ sợ adj
Usage examples
There's no point just offering sympathy, or even worse, pity, like that dreadful Citronella Pratt.
, RESCUING ROSE (2002)Kanu has laughed off his dreadful miss in the closing stages of Albion's loss to Middlesbrough on Sunday.
Megastar (2004)For exporters, especially in the auto industry, the fourth quarter was unremittingly dreadful.
Globe and Mail (2003)For poor Jansen, in one sense, it is a dreadful position to be in.
Glasgow Herald (2001)For supporting sailors who mutinied against their dreadful conditions, he was soon sentenced to hang.
, THE MEDICAL MYSTERIES E-OMNIBUS (2001)