1. awful, dire, direful, dread, dreaded, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, frightening, horrendous, horrific, terrible

causing fear or dread or terror

Example Sentences:
'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'

• awful
• dire
• direful
• dread
• dreaded
• dreadful
• fearful
• fearsome
• frightening
• horrendous
• horrific

2. abominable, atrocious, awful, dreadful, painful, terrible, unspeakable

exceptionally bad or displeasing

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

• abominable
• atrocious
• awful
• dreadful
• painful
• unspeakable

3. severe, terrible, wicked

intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality

Example Sentences:
'severe pain'
'a severe case of flu'
'a terrible cough'
'under wicked fire from the enemy's guns'
'a wicked cough'

• severe
• wicked

4. awful, frightful, terrible, tremendous

extreme in degree or extent or amount or impact

Example Sentences:
'in a frightful hurry'
'spent a frightful amount of money'

• awful
• frightful
• tremendous