DREADFUL

dreadful

(adjective) extremely disagreeable and unpleasant; “don’t go out, the weather is dreadful”

awful, dire, direful, dread, dreaded, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, frightening, horrendous, horrific, terrible

(adjective) causing fear or dread or terror; “the awful war”; “an awful risk”; “dire news”; “a career or vengeance so direful that London was shocked”; “the dread presence of the headmaster”; “polio is no longer the dreaded disease it once was”; “a dreadful storm”; “a fearful howling”; “horrendous explosions shook the city”; “a terrible curse”

atrocious, abominable, awful, dreadful, painful, terrible, unspeakable

(adjective) exceptionally bad or displeasing; “atrocious taste”; “abominable workmanship”; “an awful voice”; “dreadful manners”; “a painful performance”; “terrible handwriting”; “an unspeakable odor came sweeping into the room”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Adjective

dreadful (comparative more dreadful, superlative most dreadful)

Full of something causing dread, whether

Genuinely horrific, awful, or alarming; dangerous, risky.

(hyperbolic) Unpleasant, awful, very bad (also used as an intensifier).

(obsolete) Awesome, awe-inspiring, causing feelings of reverence.

(obsolete) Full of dread, whether

Scared, afraid, frightened.

Timid, easily frightened.

Reverential, full of pious awe.

Adverb

dreadful (comparative more dreadful, superlative most dreadful)

(informal) Dreadfully.

Usage notes

The senses of "dreadful" synonymous with "afraid" similarly use the infinitive or the preposition "of": they were dreadful to build or the boy was dreadful of his majesty. These senses are, however, now obsolete.

When used as an intensifier, "dreadful" is actually a form of the adverb "dreadfully" and thus considered informal or vulgar.

Synonyms

• See frightening

• See bad

Noun

dreadful (plural dreadfuls)

A shocker: a report of a crime written in a provokingly lurid style.

A journal or broadsheet printing such reports.

A shocking or sensational crime.

Source: Wiktionary

Dread"ful, a.

1. Full of dread or terror; fearful. [Obs.] "With dreadful heart." Chaucer.

2. Inspiring dread; impressing great fear; fearful; terrible; as, a dreadful storm. " Dreadful gloom." Milton. For all things are less dreadful than they seem. Wordsworth.

3. Inspiring awe or reverence; awful. [Obs.] "God's dreadful law." Shak.

Syn.

– Fearful; frightful; terrific; terrible; horrible; horrid; formidable; tremendous; awful; venerable. See Frightful.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition