dreadful
gb/dɹˈɛdfəl/ us/dɹˈɛdfəl/
B1
Inglés
~ 2000
Acepciones
0 acepciones
adjective
B1
property
1
Very bad or unpleasant
Very bad, unpleasant, or making you feel afraid.
Patrón de uso:
[something] is dreadful
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse 'dreadful' with 'dreaded'. 'Dreaded' means feared or causing fear, but 'dreadful' usually describes something very bad or unpleasant.
Sinónimos
terrible (Very close in meaning; often interchangeable, but 'terrible' can be slightly less intense.)
|
awful (Similar in meaning but can also mean 'very bad' in a casual sense.)
Antónimos
wonderful (Direct opposite in terms of quality; something wonderful is very good and pleasant.)
Colocaciones
dreadful mistake
|dreadful accident
|dreadful news
|dreadful experience
|dreadful smell
Temas
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- The food at that restaurant was simply dreadful.
- She woke up to the dreadful news of the storm.
- He made a dreadful mistake during the interview.
- The room had a dreadful smell after the party.
- It was a dreadful experience that she would never forget.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The movie was dreadful.
- I heard dreadful news today.
- He made a dreadful mistake.
- The weather is dreadful this week.
- She had a dreadful headache.
adjective
literary
B2
property
2
Causing deep fear or awe
Making people feel very afraid because it is serious or dangerous.
Patrón de uso:
a dreadful [event/situation]
Sinónimos
fearsome (Suggests inspiring fear through impressive power or danger.)
Antónimos
reassuring (Has the opposite emotional effect by removing fear.)
Colocaciones
dreadful fate
|dreadful storm
|dreadful war
Temas
emotions
|literature
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- They faced a dreadful fate at the hands of their enemies.
- A dreadful silence filled the hall before the verdict.
- The sailors braced for the dreadful storm approaching from the east.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The soldiers faced a dreadful battle.
- A dreadful storm came last night.
- The king spoke of a dreadful war.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
dreadful
AFI
GB/dɹˈɛdfəl/
US/dɹˈɛdfəl/
Sílabas y acento
dread - ful (2 sílabas)
Stress on 1st syllable (dread)
Formas de la palabra
Adjective
- Base: dreadful
Familia de palabras
Core family
dread
noun B2
dreadfully
adverb B2
Advanced or less common
dreadfulness
noun
Expresiones
in a dreadful state
1/ˈɪn ə dɹˈɛdfəl stˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
In very bad condition
In very bad condition or situation.
Ejemplos
- After the flood, the house was in a dreadful state.
- He arrived at the meeting in a dreadful state after missing his train.
look dreadful
1/lˈʊk dɹˈɛdfəl/
fixed phrase
Appear very bad or unwell
To seem very sick, tired, or messy.
Ejemplos
- You look dreadful—are you feeling okay?
- After working all night, she looked dreadful.