different between dreadful vs fantastic

English

Alternative forms

• dreadfull
• dredful (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?d??d.f?l/

Etymology

From Middle English dredful, dredfull, dredeful (also dreful), equivalent to dread +? -ful.

Adjective

dreadful (comparative more dreadful, superlative most dreadful)

1. Full of something causing dread, whether
   1. Genuinely horrific, awful, or alarming; dangerous, risky.
      • 1900, L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Chapter 23:

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

   2. (hyperbolic) Unpleasant, awful, very bad (also used as an intensifier).
      • 1682, T. Creech's translation of Lucretius, De Natura Rerum, Book II, 52:

        Here some... Look dreadful gay in their own sparkling blood.
   3. (obsolete) Awesome, awe-inspiring, causing feelings of reverence.
2. (obsolete) Full of dread, whether
   1. Scared, afraid, frightened.
   2. Timid, easily frightened.
   3. Reverential, full of pious awe.

Adverb

dreadful (comparative more dreadful, superlative most dreadful)

1. (informal) Dreadfully.

Usage notes

The senses of "dreadful" synonymous with "afraid" similarly use the infinitive or the preposition "of": they were dreadful to build or the boy was dreadful of his majesty. These senses are, however, now obsolete.

When used as an intensifier, "dreadful" is actually a form of the adverb "dreadfully" and thus considered informal or vulgar.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:frightening
• See Thesaurus:bad

Derived terms

• dreadfully
• dreadfulness

Translations

Noun

dreadful (plural dreadfuls)

1. A shocker: a report of a crime written in a provokingly lurid style.
2. A journal or broadsheet printing such reports.
3. A shocking or sensational crime.

Derived terms

• penny dreadful

Further reading

• Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.

English

Alternative forms

• fantastick, phantastick (obsolete)
• phantastic
• phantastique (archaic)

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French fantastique, from Late Latin phantasticus, from Ancient Greek ??????????? (phantastikós, “imaginary, fantastic; fictional”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *b?eh?- (“to shine”). Doublet of fantastique.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fæn?tæst?k/
• Rhymes: -æst?k

Adjective

fantastic (comparative more fantastic, superlative most fantastic)

1. Existing in or constructed from fantasy; of or relating to fantasy; fanciful.

2. Not believable; implausible; seemingly only possible in fantasy.
3. Resembling fantasies in irregularity, caprice, or eccentricity; irregular; grotesque.
   • T. Gray

     There at the foot of yonder nodding beech, / That wreathes its old fantastic roots so high.

4. Wonderful; marvelous; excellent; extraordinarily good or great (used especially as an intensifier).

Synonyms

• (based in fantasy rather than reality): fabulous, fantastical
• (extravagantly fanciful and unrealistic): foolish, hare-brained, unrealistic, wild
• (incredibly wonderful): brilliant, fabulous, splendid, super, wonderful
• See also Thesaurus:excellent

Antonyms

• (incredibly wonderful): sucktastic

Derived terms

• fantastical
• fantastically

Related terms

• fantasy
• fantasise, fantasize

Translations

Noun

fantastic (plural fantastics)

1. (archaic) A fanciful or whimsical person.

Anagrams

• anti-facts

Romanian

Etymology

From French fantastique, from Latin phantasticus.

Adjective

fantastic m or n (feminine singular fantastic?, masculine plural fantastici, feminine and neuter plural fantastice)

1. fantastic

Declension