Synonyms for awful

Synonyms for (adj) awful

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


Synonyms: nasty, awful

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


Similar words: hateful, mean

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


Synonyms: awed, awful

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


Visual thesaurus for awful