Find Synonyms

awful Synonyms

Another word for awful

Choosing another word for awful depends on context, so the 47 synonyms and similar words below are separated across 5 exact definitions and ranked by match strength.
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• adjective (Context 1)

Very bad, unpleasant, or of extremely poor quality.

Usage Example

"The traffic on the highway was terrible because of the severe snowstorm."

Strongest
terrible
dreadful
horrible
atrocious
Strong
abysmal
lousy
wretched
subpar
Weak
inferior
unpleasant

• adjective (Context 2)

Extremely shocking, horrifying, or distressing.

Usage Example

"Rescue workers arrived quickly at the scene of the horrific train derailment."

Strongest
horrific
horrendous
appalling
ghastly
Strong
grisly
harrowing
gruesome
frightful
tragic
hideous

• adjective (Context 3)

Used as an informal intensifier to denote a very large amount or extreme degree.

Usage Example

"It takes an tremendous lot of patience to restore antique mechanical watches."

Strong
tremendous
immense
enormous
huge
whopping
vast
considerable
substantial

• adverb (Context 4)

Very or extremely (used informally as an intensifier).

Usage Example

"It has been an awfully long time since our family last visited the coast."

Strongest
awfully
very
extremely
terribly
Strong
mighty
exceedingly
real
incredibly
exceptionally

• adjective (Context 5)

Inspiring reverential wonder, solemn dread, or profound respect (archaic).

Usage Example

"The medieval chronicler described the monarch's awe-inspiring majesty in the cathedral."

Strongest
awe-inspiring
majestic
Strong
sublime
solemn
august
exalted
imposing
venerable
redoubtable
grand

Opposites of awful

The opposite of awful shifts depending on context. Common opposites include:

wonderful
excellent
fantastic
unimpressive
slightly
superb
marvelous
barely
See all opposites of awful

• Nearby Words

awesomeness
awestricken
awestruck
awful
awfully
awfulness
awhile

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Synonyms for Awful. In Wordmom Thesaurus. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/synonyms/awful
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