I'm afraid there's been some awful news.
Source: tatoeba (25222)
Awful
//ˈɔːfl̩//
Synonyms for "awful" (282 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (57)
Adjective(8 words)
Noun(1 words)
Adverb(1 words)
Strong matches (84)
disastrousdisgustingdivinedreaddreadeddreadfuldreadfullyeerieegregiouselaborateelegantenormousestimableevilexecrableextraordinaryextravagantextremelyfancyfearful
Show 45 more words
fellfetidfiercefilthyfineflagrantforbiddingformidablefoulfrighteningfrightfulfrightfullyfulsomeghastlyghoulishgloriousgnarlygrandgrandiosegravegreatgreatlygrievousgrimgrislygrossgrotesquegruesomehatefulheavenlyheavyheinoushellishhideousholyhonorablehorrendoushorriblehorridhorrifichorrifyinghowlinghugelyimposingimpressive
Adverb(1 words)
Related words (141)
ineffableinenarrableinexpressibleinfamousinferiorinviolableinviolatelamentableloathsomelousyluridluxuriousmacabremagnificentmainmajesticmarvelousmiserablemonstrousmonumental
Show 105 more words
morbidmortalmortallymovingmuchmysteriousnefariousnoblenoisomenotoriousnuminousobnoxiousobsceneodiousoffensiveominousoutrageouspalatialpeskypitiablepitifulplushpoorportentousposhprincelyprofoundproudpunkrancidrankredoubtableregrettablereligiousrepellingreprehensiblerepugnantrepulsivereverendreverentrevoltingritzyrottenrousingsacredsacrosanctsadscandalousschlockschrecklichscurvyserioussevereshabbyshamefulshockingshoddysosolemnsordidspiritualsplendacioussplendidsplendiferoussqualidstatelystinkingsumptuoussuperbsuperfancysuperfineswankswankyswelltastelessterribleterriblyterrificthumpingtime-honoredtoo badtragictremendousuglyuncannyuncleanunfortunateungodlyunpleasantunsightlyuntouchableunutterablevenerableveryvilevillainousweirdwhackingwhoppingwoefulworshipfulworstworthlesswretchedyucky
Adjective(5 words)
Noun(1 words)
Adverb(1 words)
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
2 entriesSynonyms
5 entriesRelated terms
2 entriescoordinate
1 entriesderived
10 entriesderived from
2 entrieshas context
2 entriesrelated to
17 entriesShowing 16 of 17 words.
similar
14 entriesTranslations
153 translations across 36 languages.
Arabic
2 entries- أَرْبَد adj (very bad)
- فَظِيع adj (very bad)
Armenian
4 entries- ահավոր adj (very bad)
- ահավոր adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- ահարկու adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- ահեղ adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
Belarusian
1 entries- жахлі́вы adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
Bulgarian
4 entries- внушаващ страх adj (inspiring awe)
- отвратителен adj (very bad)
- страшен adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- ужасен adj (very bad)
Catalan
3 entries- horrorós adj (very bad)
- horrorós adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- horrorós adj (inspiring awe)
Chinese Mandarin
4 entries- 令人驚嘆的 /令人惊叹的 adj (inspiring awe)
- 厲害 /厉害 adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- 可怕 adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- 壞 /坏 adj (very bad)
Czech
2 entries- děsný adj (very bad)
- strašný adj (very bad)
Dutch
4 entries- afgrijselijk adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- verschrikkelijk adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- vreselijk adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- onmeunig adv (colloquial: very, extremely)
Esperanto
2 entries- aĉa adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- malbonega adj (very bad)
Finnish
4 entries- hirveä adj (very bad)
- hirveä adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- hirvittävä adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- hämmästynyt adj (struck or filled with awe)
French
4 entries- affreux adj (very bad)
- horrible adj (very bad)
- horrible adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- immonde adj (very bad)
German
4 entries- ehrfurchtsvoll adj (struck or filled with awe)
- ehrfürchtig adj (struck or filled with awe)
- erfurchterregend adj (inspiring awe)
- furchtbar adj (very bad)
Greek
4 entries- απαίσιος adj (very bad)
- απαίσιος adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- τρομερός adj (exceedingly great)
- τρομερός adj (inspiring awe)
Hebrew
4 entries- איום adj (very bad)
- איום adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- נורא adj (very bad)
- נוראי adj (very bad)
Hungarian
4 entries- borzalmas adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- borzasztó adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- rettenetes adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- rémes adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
Irish
1 entries- uafásach adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
Italian
4 entries- impressionante adj (exceedingly great)
- orribile adj (very bad)
- orribile adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- pessimo adj (very bad)
Japanese
1 entries- 怖い adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
Khmer
2 entries- ឃោរ adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- ភយង្ករ adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
Latin
2 entries- dīrus adj (very bad)
- dīrus adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
Latvian
2 entries- šausmīgs adj (very bad)
- šausmīgs adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
Lithuanian
1 entries- baisus adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
Macedonian
2 entries- ужасен adj (very bad)
- ужасен adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
Malay
1 entries- teruk adj (very bad)
Navajo
1 entries- hóyééʼ adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
Norwegian
2 entries- forferdelig adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- grusom adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
Polish
3 entries- ohydny adj (very bad)
- okropny adj (very bad)
- straszliwy adj (very bad)
Portuguese
4 entries- apavorante adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- horrível adj (very bad)
- horrível adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- medonho adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
Romanian
4 entries- atroce adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- impresionant adj (exceedingly great)
- impresionant adj (inspiring awe)
- oribil adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
Russian
4 entries- ужа́сный adj (very bad)
- ужа́сный adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- ужаса́ющий adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- устраша́ющий adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
Scottish Gaelic
1 entries- sgriosail adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
Spanish
4 entries- atroz adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- espantoso adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- horrible adj (very bad)
- horrible adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
Swedish
4 entries- fasansfull adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- fruktansvärd adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- hemsk adj (very bad)
- hemsk adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
Turkish
1 entries- berbat adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
Vietnamese
1 entries- khủng khiếp adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
Welsh
2 entries- ofnadwy adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
- uthr adj (causing fear; appalling; terrible)
Sample sentences
30 total sentences available.
It's an awful shame your wife couldn't come.
Source: tatoeba (25702)
The sound of an awful scream made him shudder.
Source: tatoeba (30345)
That car is no doubt in an awful condition.
Source: tatoeba (46836)
Showing 4 of 30 available sentences.
Keep exploring
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.