awful
/ˈɑfəl/
adjectiveadverb
Core
1.adj.exceptionally bad or displeasing
“atrocious taste”
2.adj.causing fear or dread or terror
“the awful war”
3.adj.offensive or even (of persons) malicious
“in a nasty mood”
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awful and dreadful share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. awful means “exceptionally bad or displeasing”. dreadful means “causing fear or dread or terror”. awful is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈɑfəl/
1.adj.exceptionally bad or displeasing
“atrocious taste”
2.adj.causing fear or dread or terror
“the awful war”
3.adj.offensive or even (of persons) malicious
“in a nasty mood”
/ˈdɹɛdfəl/
1.adj.causing fear or dread or terror
“the awful war”
2.adj.exceptionally bad or displeasing
“atrocious taste”
3.adj.extremely disagreeable and unpleasant
“don't go out, the weather is dreadful”
| awful | dreadful | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈɑfəl/ | /ˈdɹɛdfəl/ |
| Said | AH-fuhl | DRED-fuhl |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 5 | 8 |
| Parts of speech | adjective, adverb | adjective |
| Senses | 7 | 3 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | atrocious, abominable, dreadful | awful, dire, direful |
Full entry for awful · Full entry for dreadful · More comparisons