dreadfuldread‧ful /ˈdredfəl/ ●●○ adjective 
We’ve had some dreadful weather lately. Michelle felt absolutely dreadful (=very ill).► see thesaurus at bad, horrible2[only before noun] used to emphasize how bad something or someone is SYN terrible: a dreadful mistakeGRAMMARDreadful is not used with ‘very’. You say: · The food was absolutely dreadful. ✗Don’t say: The food was very dreadful.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- "How did you like the film?'' "I thought it was dreadful.''
- The coffee tasted dreadful!
- Young made two dreadful mistakes.
- Ah, it's dreadful, sometimes.
- And in any case, what Lucy may have done was surely not so dreadful and will be soon forgotten.
- In a medical centre they found dreadful cases of malnutrition, scabies and diarrhoea.
- Sleazy and tedious, the film would need to improve a few rungs to be classified as merely dreadful.
- The doctor wouldn't allow sedatives, or painkillers when he had those dreadful headaches.
- The Reformers might be followers of Erasmus; but they had no hesitation in drowning the dreadful Anabaptists.
- Then she had the dreadful feeling that he was not going to answer her anyway, for he said nothing.
THESAURUSvery bad
especially British English very bad: · The movie was awful.· Her house is in a terrible state.· a dreadful crime
very bad, especially in a way that shocks or upsets you: · He describes prison as ‘a horrible place’.· It was a horrible experience.
smelling or tasting very bad: · The food was disgusting.· The fish smelled disgusting.
informal very bad or disappointing: · The weather has been lousy all week.· I’m fed up with this lousy job.
British English informal very bad: · I’ve had a ghastly day.· a ghastly mistake
severe problems, injuries, illnesses etc are very bad and serious: · The country faces severe economic problems.· severe delays· He suffered severe head injuries in a car crash.
extremely bad in a way that is shocking: · Her behaviour has been absolutely atrocious.· The country has an appalling human rights record.
very bad and of a very low standard: · The team’s performance was abysmal.· the abysmal conditions in some prisons
experience, situation, event very bad and unpleasant: · For one horrible moment, I thought I was going to fall.· The refugees were living in dreadful conditions.· It must have been a terrible worry for them.· Thousands of people lost their jobs – it was awful.
very unpleasant and shocking – used especially about events where people are hurt: · There’s been a nasty accident on the motorway.· a nasty cut· The news came as a nasty shock.
Longman Language Activatorbad events/experiences/weather etc not at all pleasant, enjoyable, or successful: · If the weather's bad, we could go to the museum instead.· bad housing conditionsbad news (=news of a bad event): · I'm afraid I have some bad news.a bad day/year/time etc (=when a lot of unpleasant things happen): · This was a very bad year for the banking industry.· It had been a bad day, and I just wanted to go home.
very bad: · The weather has been terrible lately.· Traffic in the downtown Boston area is awful.· Conditions in the hospital were dreadful. The place was falling apart and it was understaffed.
so bad that you are shocked: · Living conditions in the refugee camps were atrocious.· The appalling weather continued, with harsh winds, fogs and heavy rain.
extremely bad, unpleasant, and often frightening: · It was a horrendous storm.· She is still recovering from a horrendous car accident.
extremely bad, especially in a way that is frightening or upsetting: · It was a horrific experience. We really thought we were going to die.· The race was stopped after a horrific accident in which two drivers were killed.
spoken informal use this to talk about an extremely bad experience or situation: · The traffic coming in to work this morning was a nightmare.· The President's trip turned out to be a nightmare for his security staff.be a complete nightmare: · Our vacation was a complete nightmare. The weather was awful and our hotel was worse.
bad films/books/methods/food etc something that is bad is of a low standard, because it has been done badly, designed badly, performed badly etc: · The movie was so bad that we left before it finished.· It's the worst book she's ever written.· Opponents of the plan say it is a bad way of managing city traffic.· In the 1980s, their cars had a bad reputation for reliability.· Their latest album is even worse than their last one.
spoken not good at all: · I wouldn't go there - the food's no good.· I've tried that diet, and it's no good.
very bad: · That's such an awful programme! How can you watch it?· Your handwriting is appalling.· The food was lousy and the service was terrible.
especially British very bad: · The coffee tasted dreadful!· "How did you like the film?'' "I thought it was dreadful.''
British informal /garbage especially American use this to describe something you think is very bad: · "What did you think of his speech?'' "I thought it was rubbish!''· Most of the food in these fast food joints is garbage.a load of rubbish/garbage: · I don't know why you're watching that film, it's a load of old rubbish.· I've never read such a load of garbage in my life.
informal use this to describe something you think is very bad -- some people think this word is offensive: · There's nothing but crap on television these days.· The stereo's great but the rest of the car is crap.a load of crap: · Someone told me it was a really interesting museum, but I thought it was a load of crap.
especially American, informal if you say that something sucks , you think it is very bad -- some people think this word is offensive: · Let's not go there -- the food sucks.
something bad that happens to you · You shouldn't let one bad experience affect your decision.· Being arrested was one of the worst experiences of my life.· My passport was stolen and the police said they couldn't help me. It was a terrible experience.
a very unpleasant or frightening experience when you feel that you have no control over what is happening: · Starting school can be a nightmare for some children.· As the ship went down, people were rushing around in the dark screaming and yelling. It was an absolute nightmare.nightmare of: · The hostages described life in the prison camp as a nightmare of fear and uncertainty.
a painful, frightening, or worrying experience, especially one that continues for a long time: · The three week trial turned out to be an emotional ordeal for everyone involved.· The hostages were relieved that their long ordeal was finally over.
a very bad experience or shock that has an effect on you: · June never recovered from the trauma of her husband's violent death.· Multiple-personality disorder is usually caused by early childhood trauma.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES The thought that she might be dead was too terrible to contemplate.
1extremely unpleasant SYN terrible: (=very bad)· Some of the animals were being kept in appalling conditions.
The thought that she might be dead was too terrible to contemplate. (=someone who flirts a lot) She’s an incorrigible flirt!
She’s an incorrigible flirt!· It would be a terrible mistake to marry him.
· The trial was a dreadful ordeal.
· She could not bring herself to tell them the awful truth.
· We came home early because of the awful weather.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· No one told me how dreadful you can feel.· The old woman talked before she died and said she loved me like a daughter. How dreadful everything is!· She started on Adam for taking up that shameful suggestion about selling what she called the family silver. How dreadful!· To such groups, the storyline showed the audience how dreadful the law was.
· Broussac and Capote refused to read the signs and so made their most dreadful mistake.· That year was most dreadful and cruel for mankind over all the earth.· Or with the most dreadful infrequency and when I least expected him to show himself?
· And in any case, what Lucy may have done was surely not so dreadful and will be soon forgotten.· Perhaps in no other political career is defeat at the polls so dreadful.· He looked so dreadful she went to him, knelt, put her hand on his.· Moreover, were things quite so dreadful that such control needed to be exerted?· It was all so dreadful, but I don't really remember it now.· What was so dreadful that you couldn't tell me?· If he did not feel so dreadful, Harry would tell the fellow just what he could do with his bedside wit.· Why is London's Underground so dreadful?.
· Constanza did ask, Anna simply repeated, Something too dreadful to speak about.
NOUN· He soon realized he had made a dreadful mistake.· We acknowledge that there have been dreadful mistakes and inexcusable mistreatment in the past, but we have learned from them.· One look was sufficient to make them realise they had made a dreadful mistake.· Perhaps he had made a dreadful mistake after all.· Despite his firm statement on the beach, Laura knew that this was all a dreadful mistake.· Broussac and Capote refused to read the signs and so made their most dreadful mistake.· She admitted she had made a dreadful mistake and appealed for a reconciliation.· Now under house arrest, she says it's all a dreadful mistake.
· A dreadful place, this Passage.· You may still be a child but you are the only person in this dreadful place who understands the meaning of care.· She should never have shut herself away in that dreadful place.· But there was some one at least in that dreadful place who had a thought for others besides himself.· She was alone in this dreadful place after all.· Could she come to terms with the knowledge that they had been conceived in that dreadful place?
· A move is a dreadful thing.· Being mindful of the dreadful things that can happen to them and having to live with that.· I can't sleep at nights from thinking of those dreadful things you describe.· What had finally driven him to do this dreadful thing?· The dreadful things that he forecasts will not happen.
· I can't sleep at nights from thinking of those dreadful things you describe.· Being mindful of the dreadful things that can happen to them and having to live with that.· The dreadful things that he forecasts will not happen.
We’ve had some dreadful weather lately. Michelle felt absolutely dreadful (=very ill).► see thesaurus at bad, horrible2[only before noun] used to emphasize how bad something or someone is SYN terrible: a dreadful mistakeGRAMMARDreadful is not used with ‘very’. You say: · The food was absolutely dreadful. ✗Don’t say: The food was very dreadful.