Associations to the word «Dreadful»

Wiktionary

DREADFUL, adjective. Causing dread; very bad.
DREADFUL, noun. A shocking or sensational crime.
DREADFUL, noun. A shocking or sensational report of a crime.

Dictionary definition

DREADFUL, adjective. 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".
DREADFUL, adjective. 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".
DREADFUL, adjective. Very unpleasant.

Wise words

Words are always getting conventionalized to some secondary meaning. It is one of the works of poetry to take the truants in custody and bring them back to their right senses.
William Butler Yeats