awful
65
1.1
- adjective
- /ˈɔːfəl/
- Archaic
:
terrible
- Something awful was about to happen.
- face the awful consequences
And that helped prevent what could have been an awful tragedy at that particular school.
- And that helped prevent what could have been an awful tragedy at that particular school.
- Fire has always been a dreadful, awful terror weapon.
- It's an evil, awful, awful human event.
- For me personally, I got the full picture of what you know how awful, you know, war is.
- I'm dead is the most awful, punishing thing for everyone in the world but me.
- And my heart goes out to the people of Ukraine who are in a truly awful situation.
- And I did nine months in the Ville which was horrific, awful jail.
- So don't even think about coming here because if you do, something awful will happen to you.
- That is absolutely terrifying, and it's awful.
- And so they're going to spend some time in this awful, abandoned, terrifying castle.
- Oh, it's fear, as if some fear is some big unknowable, scary, awful thing.
- But now I've seen mortality do it's awful, ghosting up close twice.
- Like they literate like like even when you read like of the awful Nazi stuff like you have those thoughts.
Examples
-
No water got in here, but something awful cold did.
-
And so they're going to spend some time in this awful, abandoned, terrifying castle.
-
And it was a really awful moment in my life.
-
It's an evil, awful, awful human event.
-
I have these awful dreams.
-
It's awful to think she may be dead.
-
And my heart goes out to the people of Ukraine who are in a truly awful situation.
-
And that helped prevent what could have been an awful tragedy at that particular school.
-
When she was little, she had these awful night terrors.
-
The scene in the horror movie was so awful that many viewers screamed in terror.
Synonyms
∞
1.5
Very bad or frightening in a way that makes you feel upset
658
1.0
So frightening that people feel afraid
287
3.0
Causing someone to feel afraid
209
5.3
Making people feel very afraid
179
5.5
Causing great fear or shock
141
6.9
Very serious, frightening, and needing action quickly
136
3.7
Very bad and unpleasant, often causing fear or shock
95
4.5
Makes people feel very afraid and shocked
91
5.1
A strange, frightening feeling as if ghosts are nearby
87
5.6
Causing shock and strong disgust because it is very bad
82
7.0
Very shocking and scary, causing fear or disgust
57
4.5
Very bad and shocking, causing people to feel fear or sadness
52
4.1
A very unpleasant thing that shocks or disgusts you
49
6.8
Causing great fear and shock, often like death or ghosts
42
3.1
A very bad or painful condition, for example during illness
37
4.8
Very frightening and likely to make people afraid
25
7.1
Very bad or of poor quality
19
2.9
Causing strong fear and worry
17
7.0
Very frightening and unpleasant, like a bad dream
16
8.4
Very bad and unpleasant
12
7.6
Very cruel and shocking, causing great pain and fear
7
4.2
Very bad or unpleasant in a strong way
4
8.2
Very bad and unpleasant, of poor quality
3
9.0
Very bad or difficult and hard to deal with
1
9.9
Causing great fear or showing terrible danger
Strange in a way that makes you feel afraid or uneasy
Antonyms
How Scary
209
5.3
95
4.5
- Archaic
65
1.1
287
3.0
763
1.0
64
4.2
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Awful is built from awe, and 'awe' can mean both wonder and fear, so awful can mean 'very frightening' or serious. That's why the word is used for things that cause dread or terror.