different between wondrous vs dreadful
wondrous
English
Alternative forms
- wonderous
Etymology
From Middle English wondrous, alteration after the suffix -ous of Middle English wonders (“wondrous, wonderful”, adjective), from Old English wundres (“of wonder”), genitive singular of wundor (“wonder, miracle”), from Proto-Germanic *wundr? (“wonder”). Compare Dutch wonders, German Wunder.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /?w?nd??s/
- Hyphenation: won?drous
Adjective
wondrous (comparative more wondrous, superlative most wondrous)
- Wonderful; amazing, inspiring awe; marvelous.
Derived terms
- wondrously
Synonyms
- See Thesaurus:awesome
Translations
Adverb
wondrous (comparative more wondrous, superlative most wondrous)
- In a wonderful degree; remarkably; wondrously.
Translations
wondrous From the web:
- what wondrous love is this
- what wondrous love is this lyrics
- what wondrous love is this hymn
- what wondrous love is this chords
- what wondrous love is this sheet music
- what wondrous love is this pdf
- what wondrous love is this celtic
- what wondrous love is this fernando ortega
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
- wondrous vs dreadful
- affect vs slant
- curb vs cessation
- pure vs dependable
- custom vs guise
- swarm vs army
- enlarging vs stretching
- delightful vs elating
- confine vs segregate
- incite vs seduce
- wicked vs irreclaimable
- audacious vs gallant
- treaty vs understanding
- federation vs faction
- postulate vs view
- emanation vs spurt
- transmutation vs transfiguration
- puissant vs courageous
- unit vs slice
- damage vs mutilation