Synonyms: horrendous, horrific, awful, dire, direful, dread, dreaded, dreadful, frightening, fearful, fearsome, terrible
Definition: causing fear or dread or terror
Usage: 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
Similar words: alarming
Definition: frightening because of an awareness of danger
Synonyms: abominable, atrocious, awful, unspeakable, painful, terrible, dreadful
Definition: exceptionally bad or displeasing
Usage: atrocious taste; abominable workmanship; an awful voice; dreadful manners; a painful performance; terrible handwriting; an unspeakable odor came sweeping into the room
Similar words: bad
Definition: having undesirable or negative qualities
Usage: a bad report card; his sloppy appearance made a bad impression; a bad little boy; clothes in bad shape; a bad cut; bad luck; the news was very bad; the reviews were bad; the pay is bad; it was a bad light for reading; the movie was a bad choice
Synonyms: awe-inspiring, awesome, awful, awing, amazing
Definition: inspiring awe or admiration or wonder
Usage: 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
Similar words: impressive
Definition: making a strong or vivid impression
Usage: an impressive ceremony
Definition: offensive or even (of persons) malicious
Usage: 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
Similar words: lousy, filthy, dirty
Definition: vile; despicable
Usage: a dirty (or lousy) trick; a filthy traitor
Similar words: grotty
Definition: very unpleasant or offensive
Usage: a grotty little play
Definition: characterized by malice
Usage: a hateful thing to do; in a mean mood
Synonyms: awful, frightful, tremendous, terrible
Definition: extreme in degree or extent or amount or impact
Usage: in a frightful hurry; spent a frightful amount of money
Similar words: extraordinary
Definition: beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable
Usage: extraordinary authority; an extraordinary achievement; her extraordinary beauty; enjoyed extraordinary popularity; an extraordinary capacity for work; an extraordinary session of the legislature
Definition: inspired by a feeling of fearful wonderment or reverence
Usage: awed by the silence; awful worshippers with bowed heads
Similar words: reverent
Definition: feeling or showing profound respect or veneration
Usage: maintained a reverent silence