AWFUL Synonyms: 429 Similar and Opposite Words

awful 1 of 2

adjective

ˈȯ-fəl

Definition of awful

as in horrible

causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment that's an awful thing to say about someone

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in amazing

causing wonder or astonishment the awful power of Niagara Falls

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in horrific

extremely disturbing or repellent spare me the awful details of the murder

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in terrible

extremely unsatisfactory I can't believe I spent good money to see that movie—it was awful

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

awful

2 of 2

adverb

as in terribly

to a great degree that's awful sweet of you

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of awful

Adjective

There’s plenty of other awful things happening in the episode, almost all of them revolving around Sai. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026 But coming off the back of that, there was all of this legislation that was pretty awful and generally, there were a lot of homophobic attitudes, still quite extreme, even as late as the 1990s. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026

Adverb

Someone who has worked awful hard, has a great skill set, four years of college, four years of lifting, four years of game-planning at a high level in Division III. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 26 May 2022 First, there is the question whether the awful-looking restraint maneuver Chauvin used was actually authorized at the time, or at least not clearly forbidden. — D.j. Tice, Star Tribune, 20 Feb. 2021 See All Example Sentences for awful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for awful

Adjective

There’s a big data center that just came to my community not long ago and their community engagement was horrible, absolutely horrible.

— Dustin DeSoto, Vox, 16 Oct. 2026
After the third day of squirting an experimental drug up his nose, Dylan Meetze felt horrible.

— Amy Maxmen, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of horrible

Adjective

What followed was a horrific night of physical and mental spousal abuse, which Adams describes in searing, emotional prose.

— Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
Recently, Wahid was the lead defense attorney in the death penalty case of a Miami man who pleaded guilty to the horrific triple homicide of his estranged wife and her two young daughters.

— Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of horrific

Adjective

The second storyline takes place in 2026 and concerns the murder of none other than Hal Jordan, who returned to Rushville as a social pariah after the terrible events that transpired 10 years before.

— Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
The Eagles are struggling, the Cowboys look terrible, and the Giants don’t have a quarterback.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of terrible

Adverb

Another issue is that AI detectors are still not terribly reliable, which Vara addresses in her piece, citing a number of studies to bolster the credentials of Pangram.

— James Folta, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
Probably nothing too terribly bad, especially since Denver has done it without much offensive consistency.

— Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of terribly

Adjective

My right pants leg was gone and among the smaller cuts an ugly gash puckered at me from the calf.

— Gerald R. Hunter, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026
The first attempts at a foldable smartphone in the 2010s from other companies tended to be fragile and not all that useful, with a big, ugly crease in the center interrupting the experience.

— Andrew R. Chow, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of ugly

Adjective

Among protesters, particularly gruesome wounds suffered by some teenagers have been blamed on police riot-control weapons.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Mars Attacks, released in 1962, was a huge hit with kids, though many parents objected to the gruesome artwork of Martians eviscerating Earthlings.

— Bob Woods, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of gruesome

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awful

awfully

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“Awful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/awful. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of awful

adjective

adverb

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