I had a feeling that something dreadful was happening.
Source: tatoeba (25121)
Dreadful
/ˈdɹɛd.fl̩/
Synonyms for "dreadful" (244 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (49)
Adjective(11 words)
abominableabysmalalarmingappallingarrantastoundingatrociousatrociouslyaugustawe inspiringawe-inspiringawesomeawfulawfullybadbanefulbasebeastlybeneath contemptbig
Show 18 more words
Strong matches (73)
diabolicdiabolicaldime noveldiredirefuldisgustingdreaddreadeddreadfullyeerieegregiousenormousepistolary novelerotic novelestimableevilexceedinglyfatalfearedfearful
Show 37 more words
Adjective(15 words)
Adjective(1 words)
Related words (122)
howlinginfamousinfamouslyinfernaliniquitouslamentableloathsomelousymacabremainmaleficmaleficentmalevolentmonstrousmorbidnastynefariousnoisomenotoriousnouvelle
Show 90 more words
novelnovel of characternovel of ideasnovel of incidentnovel of mannersnovel of sensibilitynovelettenovellaobnoxiousodiousoffensiveoutrageousoutrageouslypenny dreadfulpeskypicaresque novelpitiablepitifulpornographic novelproblem novelproletarian novelpropaganda novelpsychological novelrankrattlingredoubtableregional novelregrettableremarkablyrepellingreprehensiblerepugnantrepulsivereverendrevoltingriver novelromanroman a clefroman-fleuverottenrousingsadsatirical novelscandalousscaryschlockschrecklichscience-fiction novelscurvysentimental novelsevereshabbyshamefulshillingshilling shockershockingshoddyshort storyshort-shortsociological novelsordidsqualidstoriettestream-of-consciousness novelstrikinglyterribleterriblyterrificthesis novelthumpingtime-honoredtoo badtragictremendousuncleanungodlyunspeakablevenerableveryvignettevilevillainousweirdwhackingwickedwoefulworshipfulworstworthlesswretched
Adjective(10 words)
Noun(1 words)
more awful
Verb(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: awful, fearsome, terrible, abominable, abominable.
- Sentence evidence is available for dreadful, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "dreadful".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "dreadful"
Keep "dreadful" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "dreadful" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "dreadful", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "dreadful" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
3 entriesMore specific
8 entriesCollocations
7 entriesdreadful accidentdreadful conditiondreadful consequencesdreadful mistakedreadful newsdreadful performancedreadful weather
Inflections
2 entriesmore dreadfulmost dreadful
Derivations
3 entriessimilar
3 entriesTranslations
69 translations across 30 languages.
Ancient Greek
1 entries- αἰνός adj (causing dread)
Arabic
1 entries- فظيع adj (causing dread)
Bulgarian
2 entries- страшен adj (causing dread)
- ужасен adj (causing dread)
Chinese
1 entries- 可畏 adj (causing dread)
Chinese Cantonese
1 entries- 可畏 adj (causing dread)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 可畏 adj (causing dread)
Danish
3 entries- forfærdelig adj (causing dread)
- rædsom adj (causing dread)
- skrækkelig adj (causing dread)
Dutch
1 entries- vervaarlijk adj (causing dread)
French
3 entries- affreux adj (causing dread)
- redoutable adj (causing dread)
- terrible adj (causing dread)
Galician
2 entries- espantoso adj (causing dread)
- horríbel adj (causing dread)
German
2 entries- furchtbar adj (causing dread)
- schrecklich adj (causing dread)
Greek
3 entries- τρομακτικός adj (causing dread)
- τρομερός adj (causing dread)
- φοβερός adj (causing dread)
Hakka Chinese
1 entries- 可畏 adj (causing dread)
Irish
3 entries- ainnis adj (causing dread)
- millteanach adj (causing dread)
- uafásach adj (causing dread)
Italian
3 entries- orribile adj (causing dread)
- spaventoso adj (causing dread)
- terribile adj (causing dread)
Kazakh
1 entries- қорқынышты adj (causing dread)
Middle English
1 entries- dredful adj (causing dread)
Māori
3 entries- maruwehi adj (causing dread)
- whakapāwerawera adj (causing dread)
- whakarihariha adj (causing dread)
Navajo
1 entries- hóyééʼ adj (causing dread)
Occitan
3 entries- afrós adj (causing dread)
- terrible adj (causing dread)
- òrre adj (causing dread)
Old Irish
1 entries- úathmar adj (causing dread)
Persian
1 entries- افتضاح adj (causing dread)
Plautdietsch
2 entries- jräsich adj (causing dread)
- schrakjlich adj (causing dread)
Portuguese
4 entries- amedrontador adj (causing dread)
- horrível adj (causing dread)
- pavoroso adj (causing dread)
- temível adj (causing dread)
Russian
3 entries- кошмарный adj (causing dread)
- страшный adj (causing dread)
- ужасный adj (causing dread)
Sanskrit
2 entries- घोर adj (causing dread)
- भीष्म adj (causing dread)
Scottish Gaelic
1 entries- sgriosail adj (causing dread)
Spanish
4 entries- apavorado adj (full of dread)
- aterrador adj (causing dread)
- despavorido adj (full of dread)
- despavoriente adj (causing dread)
Thai
2 entries- น่ากลัว adj (causing dread)
- น่าหวาดพะวง adj (causing dread)
Turkish
4 entries- dehşet verici adj (causing dread)
- dehşetli adj (causing dread)
- korkunç adj (causing dread)
- ürkünç adj (causing dread)
Sample sentences
19 total sentences available.
I have a feeling that something dreadful is going to happen.
Source: tatoeba (25122)
Something dreadful has happened to Miss Davidson.
Source: tatoeba (25123)
The yacht was at the mercy of the dreadful storm.
Source: tatoeba (29892)
Showing 4 of 19 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "dreadful"?
Closest matches include awful, fearsome, terrible, abominable, abominable.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "dreadful"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.