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" atrociousabominableawfuldreadfulpainfulterribleunspeakable
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" awfuldiredirefuldreaddreadeddreadfulfearfulfearsomefrighteninghorrendoushorrificterrible