dreadful
causing fear or dread or terror
How often you will meet it
Rank 1,279 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 14,359 times across 155,139 chapters — 0.007% of every word in the library.
What it means
adjective
- causing fear or dread or terror also: awful, dire, direful, dread, dreaded, fearful the awful waran awful risk
- exceptionally bad or displeasing also: atrocious, abominable, awful, painful, terrible, unspeakable atrocious tasteabominable workmanship
- extremely disagreeable and unpleasant don't go out, the weather is dreadful
dreadful in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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And the mind of the thoroughly well-informed man is a dreadful thing.
The Picture of Dorian Gray · Oscar Wilde · Chapter 1
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Who is their so ignorant as not to judge of my dreadful condition?
The Life and Most Surprising Adventures · Daniel Defoe · Chapter 1
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And that's dreadful, because the detective has practically accused me of murdering my grandfather.
The Abandoned Room · Wadsworth Camp · Chapter 1
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I was a pretty good King--to myself--but those dreadful Oz people wouldn't let me alone.
The Magic of Oz · L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum · Chapter 1
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His mother, however, knew well that his success would only result in dreadful yawns and heavy eyes.
Cornelli · Johanna Spyri · Chapter 1