different between extreme vs dreadful
extreme
English
Alternative forms
- extream, extreame (obsolete)
- xtreme (informal, nonstandard)
Etymology
Borrowed into late Middle English from Old French extreme, from Latin extr?mus, the superlative of exter.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /?k?st?i?m/, /?k?st?i?m/
- (General American) IPA(key): /?k?st?im/
Adjective
extreme (comparative extremer or more extreme, superlative extremest or most extreme)
- Of a place, the most remote, farthest or outermost.
- In the greatest or highest degree; intense.
- Excessive, or far beyond the norm.
- Drastic, or of great severity.
- Of sports, difficult or dangerous; performed in a hazardous environment.
- (archaic) Ultimate, final or last.
- the extreme hour of life
Synonyms
- (place): farthest, furthest, most distant, outermost, remotest
- (in greatest or highest degree): greatest, highest
- (excessive): excessive, too much
- (drastic): drastic, severe
- (sports): dangerous
- (ultimate): final, last, ultimate
Antonyms
- (place): closest, nearest
- (in greatest or highest degree): least
- (excessive): moderate, reasonable
- (drastic): moderate, reasonable
Derived terms
- extremeness
Translations
Noun
extreme (plural extremes)
- The greatest or utmost point, degree or condition.
- Each of the things at opposite ends of a range or scale.
- A drastic expedient.
- (mathematics) Either of the two numbers at the ends of a proportion, as 1 and 6 in 1:2=3:6.
Translations
Adverb
extreme (comparative more extreme, superlative most extreme)
- (archaic) Extremely.
- 1796 Charles Burney, Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Metastasio 2.5:
- In the empty and extreme cold theatre.
- 1796 Charles Burney, Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Metastasio 2.5:
Usage notes
- Formerly used to modify adjectives and sometimes adverbs, but rarely verbs.
Derived terms
- extremism
- extremist
- extremity
- extremely
- extreme ironing
- extreme unction
Related terms
- extremum
See also
- mean
References
- John A. Simpson and Edward S. C. Weiner, editors (1989) , “extreme”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, ?ISBN
Dutch
Pronunciation
Adjective
extreme
- Inflected form of extreem
German
Adjective
extreme
- inflection of extrem:
- strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
- strong nominative/accusative plural
- weak nominative all-gender singular
- weak accusative feminine/neuter singular
Ido
Adverb
extreme
- extremely
Latin
Noun
extr?me
- vocative singular of extr?mus
References
- extreme in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
- extreme in Ramminger, Johann (accessed 16 July 2016) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700?[1], pre-publication website, 2005-2016
Middle French
Adjective
extreme m or f (plural extremes)
- extreme
Spanish
Verb
extreme
- First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of extremar.
- Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted?) present subjunctive form of extremar.
- Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of extremar.
Swedish
Adjective
extreme
- absolute definite natural masculine form of extrem.
extreme From the web:
- what extreme weather
- what extreme means
- what extreme sports are there
- what extreme conditions surround the titanic
- what extreme stress can cause
- what extreme weather is in the midwest
- what extreme fatigue means
- what extreme anxiety feels like
dreadful
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)
- Full of something causing dread, whether
- 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..."
- 1900, L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Chapter 23:
- (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.
- 1682, T. Creech's translation of Lucretius, De Natura Rerum, Book II, 52:
- (obsolete) Awesome, awe-inspiring, causing feelings of reverence.
- Genuinely horrific, awful, or alarming; dangerous, risky.
- (obsolete) Full of dread, whether
- Scared, afraid, frightened.
- Timid, easily frightened.
- Reverential, full of pious awe.
Adverb
dreadful (comparative more dreadful, superlative most dreadful)
- (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)
- A shocker: a report of a crime written in a provokingly lurid style.
- A journal or broadsheet printing such reports.
- A shocking or sensational crime.
Derived terms
- penny dreadful
Further reading
- Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.
dreadful From the web:
- what dreadful means
- what dreadful situation is knox referring to
- what dreadful dole is here
- what dreadful oracle was cited in the story
- what does dreadful mean
- what is meant by dreadful
you may also like
- extreme vs dreadful
- hurt vs chafe
- haul vs displace
- fiendish vs furious
- bother vs hardship
- fabricated vs developed
- resourcefulness vs illustriousness
- clear vs marked
- festivity vs romp
- itch vs appetite
- mortified vs shy
- unequivocally vs openly
- blighting vs distressful
- amenable vs kind
- bloodless vs sickly
- warmhearted vs loving
- incision vs slit
- hilarity vs sprightliness
- knack vs ingenuity
- heroic vs undaunted