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# dreadful

adjective

«dreadful» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Very bad or unpleasant. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dreadful/#m1)
2. Causing fear or great shock; terrible. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dreadful/#m2)
3. (informal) Used to make something stronger: a dreadful mess. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dreadful/#m3)

### 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 →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dreadful/#x1)
- I made a dreadful mistake on my test. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dreadful/#x2)
- There was a dreadful accident on the motorway. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dreadful/#x3)
- «What a dreadful thing to say!» gasped Grandma. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dreadful/#x4)
- I feel dreadful; I think I have flu. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dreadful/#x5)
- The food at the café was dreadful. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dreadful/#x6)
- The dreadful storm blew trees down. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dreadful/#x7)
- This was a very dreadful disaster. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dreadful/#x8)

### 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 →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/dreadful/#x1)
- 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 →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/dreadful/#x2)
- They are terrible and dreadful; their law and their majesty proceed from themselves. (Prophets HAB.1.7, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/dreadful/#x3)
- As whirlwinds in the South sweeping on, it cometh from the wilderness, from a dreadful land. (Prophets ISA.21.1, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/dreadful/#x4)
- 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 →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/dreadful/#x5)

### Note

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

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «dreadful» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dreadful/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«dreadful» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/dreadful.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «dreadful» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/dreadful/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«dreadful» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/dreadful.html) on Mova free.