Synonyms of awful

Adjective

1. atrocious, abominable, awful, dreadful, painful, terrible, unspeakable, bad (vs. good)

usage: exceptionally bad or displeasing; "atrocious taste"; "abominable workmanship"; "an awful voice"; "dreadful manners"; "a painful performance"; "terrible handwriting"; "an unspeakable odor came sweeping into the room"

2. awful, dire, direful, dread(prenominal), dreaded, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, frightening, horrendous, horrific, terrible, alarming (vs. unalarming)

usage: causing fear or dread or terror; "the awful war"; "an awful risk"; "dire news"; "a career or vengeance so direful that London was shocked"; "the dread presence of the headmaster"; "polio is no longer the dreaded disease it once was"; "a dreadful storm"; "a fearful howling"; "horrendous explosions shook the city"; "a terrible curse"

3. nasty (vs. nice), awful, dirty, filthy, lousy, grotty, hateful, mean, unpleasant

usage: offensive or even (of persons) malicious; "in a nasty mood"; "a nasty accident"; "a nasty shock"; "a nasty smell"; "a nasty trick to pull"; "Will he say nasty things at my funeral?"- Ezra Pound

4. awed, awful, reverent (vs. irreverent)

usage: inspired by a feeling of fearful wonderment or reverence; "awed by the silence"; "awful worshippers with bowed heads"

5. frightful, terrible, awful, tremendous, extraordinary (vs. ordinary)

usage: extreme in degree or extent or amount or impact; "in a frightful hurry"; "spent a frightful amount of money"

6. amazing, awe-inspiring, awesome, awful, awing, impressive (vs. unimpressive)

usage: inspiring awe or admiration or wonder; "New York is an amazing city"; "the Grand Canyon is an awe-inspiring sight"; "the awesome complexity of the universe"; "this sea, whose gently awful stirrings seem to speak of some hidden soul beneath"- Melville; "Westminster Hall's awing majesty, so vast, so high, so silent"

Adverb

1. terribly, awfully, awful, frightfully

usage: used as intensifiers; "terribly interesting"; "I'm awful sorry"

Definition and meaning of awful (Dictionary)