English Meaning & Definitions
Causing or involving great suffering, fear, or unhappiness; extremely bad or unpleasant.
- “The refugees lived in dreadful conditions during the winter months.”
- “I made a dreadful mistake by forgetting our anniversary.”
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “dreadful”.
Derived from the Old English 'drǣd' (fear, terror) combined with the suffix '-ful' (full of). Originally meaning 'full of awe' or 'inspiring religious fear' in Middle English, the word evolved by the 16th century to describe things that cause great suffering, fear, or extreme unpleasantness.
Think of a 'dread' (fear) that is 'full' of intensity; if you are full of dread, the situation is dreadful.
Frequently Asked Questions About “dreadful”
1. What is the meaning of “dreadful” in English?
In English, dreadful (adjective) is defined as: “Causing or involving great suffering, fear, or unhappiness; extremely bad or unpleasant.”.
2. How do you use “dreadful” in a sentence?
“The refugees lived in dreadful conditions during the winter months.”
3. What are English synonyms of “dreadful”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “dreadful”?
Derived from the Old English 'drǣd' (fear, terror) combined with the suffix '-ful' (full of). Originally meaning 'full of awe' or 'inspiring religious fear' in Middle English, the word evolved by the 16th century to describe things that cause great suffering, fear, or extreme unpleasantness.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
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A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.