dreadful

Everyday

1. Very bad or unpleasant. tree →
2. Causing fear or great shock; terrible. tree →
3. (informal) Used to make something stronger: a dreadful mess. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday British talk «dreadful» is a common word for bad weather, food or behaviour; in stories it describes frightening events; phrases: «a dreadful mistake», «I feel dreadful», «dreadful weather», «the dreadful news».

Examples

• The weather was dreadful, so sports day was cancelled. tree →
• I made a dreadful mistake on my test. tree →
• There was a dreadful accident on the motorway. tree →
• «What a dreadful thing to say!» gasped Grandma. tree →
• I feel dreadful; I think I have flu. tree →
• The food at the café was dreadful. tree →
• The dreadful storm blew trees down. tree →
• This was a very dreadful disaster. tree →

Note

Adverb: dreadfully (often means «very»: «dreadfully sorry»). Spelled with -ful (one l). Similar: awful, terrible, horrible. From dread (great fear).

In Jewish tradition

Meaning awesome or terrifying, as in "the great and dreadful wilderness." The prophets also use it for fearsome nations, a fearsome land and the awesome wheels in Ezekiel's vision.

Interpretation. Tradition sees the wilderness as a place of danger and also of care, where God provided water, manna and protection. Ezekiel's "dreadful" rings are read as a sign of the awe a person should feel before God's glory.

Examples

• who led thee through the great and dreadful wilderness, wherein were serpents, fiery serpents, and scorpions, and thirsty ground where was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; (Torah DEU.8.15, JPS 1917) tree →
• And we journeyed from Horeb, and went through all that great and dreadful wilderness which ye saw, by the way to the hill-country of the Amorites, as the LORD our God commanded us; and we came to Kadesh-barnea. (Torah DEU.1.19, JPS 1917) tree →
• They are terrible and dreadful; their law and their majesty proceed from themselves. (Prophets HAB.1.7, JPS 1917) tree →
• As whirlwinds in the South sweeping on, it cometh from the wilderness, from a dreadful land. (Prophets ISA.21.1, JPS 1917) tree →
• As for their rings, they were high and they were dreadful; and they four had their rings full of eyes round about. (Prophets EZK.1.18, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Adverb: dreadfully (often means «very»: «dreadfully sorry»). Spelled with -ful (one l). Similar: awful, terrible, horrible. From dread (great fear).