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 frightening share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. awful means “exceptionally bad or displeasing”. frightening means “the act of inspiring with fear”. 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”
/ˈfɹaɪtənɪŋ/
1.n.the act of inspiring with fear
2.adj.causing fear or dread or terror
“the awful war”
| awful | frightening | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈɑfəl/ | /ˈfɹaɪtənɪŋ/ |
| Said | AH-fuhl | FRAHY-tuh-ning |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Letters | 5 | 11 |
| Parts of speech | adjective, adverb | noun, adjective |
| Senses | 7 | 2 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | atrocious, abominable, dreadful | terrorization, terrorisation |
Full entry for awful · Full entry for frightening · More comparisons