dreadful

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Full of something causing dread, whether

   "...Aunt Em will surely think something dreadful has happened to me, and that will make her put on mourning..."

2. 2
   adj

   Full of dread, whether

   Shame to the slothful and woe to the weak one. Death to the dreadful who turn to flee. Blood to the tearing, the talon’d, the beaked one. Timor Mortis are We.

3. 3
   adv

   Dreadfully.

   I'm sorry, Miz Terrigan. I'm dreadful sorry.

4. 4
   adj

   causing fear or dread or terror

5. 5
   adj

   exceptionally bad or displeasing

6. 6
   adj

   very unpleasant

7. 7
   noun

   A shocker: a report of a crime written in a provokingly lurid style.

8. 8
   noun

   A journal or broadsheet printing such reports.

Etymology

From Middle English dredful, dredfull, dredeful (also dreful). By surface analysis, dread + -ful.