noun
adj
verb
adv

Textual thesaurus for "awful"

(adj) horrendous, horrific, dire, direful, dread, dreaded, dreadful, frightening, fearful, fearsome, terrible

causing fear or dread or terror

the awful war; an awful risk; dire news; a career or vengeance so direful that London was shocked; the dread presence of the headmaster; polio is no longer the dreaded disease it once was; a dreadful storm; a fearful howling; horrendous explosions shook the city; a terrible curse


(adj) abominable, atrocious, unspeakable, painful, terrible, dreadful

exceptionally bad or displeasing

atrocious taste; abominable workmanship; an awful voice; dreadful manners; a painful performance; terrible handwriting; an unspeakable odor came sweeping into the room


(adj) awe-inspiring, awesome, awing, amazing

inspiring awe or admiration or wonder

New York is an amazing city; the Grand Canyon is an awe-inspiring sight; the awesome complexity of the universe; this sea, whose gently awful stirrings seem to speak of some hidden soul beneath- Melville; Westminster Hall's awing majesty, so vast, so high, so silent


(adj) nasty

offensive or even (of persons) malicious

in a nasty mood; a nasty accident; a nasty shock; a nasty smell; a nasty trick to pull; Will he say nasty things at my funeral?- Ezra Pound


(adj) frightful, tremendous, terrible

extreme in degree or extent or amount or impact

in a frightful hurry; spent a frightful amount of money


(adj) awed

inspired by a feeling of fearful wonderment or reverence

awed by the silence; awful worshippers with bowed heads


(adv) frightfully, awfully, terribly

used as intensifiers

terribly interesting; I'm awful sorry