easy
The storm made a dreadful noise.
What does Dreadful mean?
Dreadful means very bad or unpleasant.
Dictionary definition
Very bad, unpleasant, frightening, or causing worry.
Example sentences
Dreadful in a sentence
medium
Forgetting the tickets was a dreadful mistake.
hard
The author used dreadful details to make the scene feel tense and frightening.
Writing practice
Ready to write your own? Study the examples, then practice dreadful in a sentence with Sentence Builder checklist feedback.
Quick practice
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Practice the meaning of Dreadful
Answer three quick questions about its meaning and related words.
Question 1 of 3
Practice 1
What does dreadful mean?
Dreadful means very bad, unpleasant, frightening, or worrying.
Practice 2
Which sentence uses dreadful correctly?
This sentence uses dreadful to mean very unpleasant.
Practice 3
Which word is an antonym of dreadful?
Wonderful means very good, which is the opposite of dreadful.
Practice complete
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You completed 3 questions.
Pronunciation coach
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Dreadful
Voice settings
Sounds like
dred · ful · strongest beat: dred
Tap each sound part, then blend the whole word together.
Learn
WordDreadful.
Partadjective.
MeaningDreadful means very bad or unpleasant.
ExampleExample: The storm made a dreadful noise.
Word breakdown
2 syllables. Say each part, then blend the word.
- Syllables
- dred · ful
- Strongest beat
- dred
- Ending
- ful
- Tip
- Put a little extra energy on dred.
Your turn
Say Dreadful
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Nice work—you practiced dreadful.
Synonyms
Words like Dreadful
Antonyms
Opposite words
Synonym practice
Want to practice dreadful synonyms in context? Try a Synonym Search question like "The dreadful smell came from the old lunchbox," then compare close word choices. Practice dreadful synonyms.
Word family
Dreadful word family
Base word
dread
adjective
dreadful
Very bad, unpleasant, or frightening.
adverb
dreadfully
In a very bad or unpleasant way.
Related words
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Student support
Understand Dreadful
Hint for students
Dreadful means very bad or unpleasant.
Common mix-up
Dreadful is not the same as wonderful. Dreadful means dreadful means very bad or unpleasant.
Try it in class or at home
Read this model sentence: Forgetting the tickets was a dreadful mistake. Clue words: forgetting, tickets, mistake. Underline clue words that show why dreadful fits instead of wonderful. Now write one new sentence that shows dreadful without using the word dreadful. Ask: Does my sentence clearly show dreadful?
Teacher prompt
Ask students to explain this model sentence: "Forgetting the tickets was a dreadful mistake." Why does dreadful fit better than wonderful?
Learning activities
Practice Dreadful and explore more word games
Cards labelled “Practice DREADFUL” keep this word in focus. Explore cards open games with other words.
Practice DREADFUL
Sentence Builder
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Spell Hive
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Vocabulary Match
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Explore · Context
Context Clue Challenge
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Practice DREADFUL
Synonym Search
Compare meanings in a question that includes DREADFUL.
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Explore · Scramble
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