Added 9 October 2026
dreadful
/ˈdɹɛd.fl̩/ adjective
adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about dreadful at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Full of something causing dread, whether Genuinely horrific, awful, or alarming; dangerous, risky. Unpleasant, awful, very bad (also used as an intensifier). Awesome, awe-inspiring, causing feelings of reverence.
- Genuinely horrific, awful, or alarming; dangerous, risky.
- Unpleasant, awful, very bad (also used as an intensifier).
adverb
noun
- A shocker: a report of a crime written in a provokingly lurid style.
- A journal or broadsheet printing such reports.
- A shocking or sensational crime.
Origin
From Middle English dredful, dredfull, dredeful (also dreful). By surface analysis, dread + -ful.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)