Adjective

(en adjective)

Causing dread; very bad.

* 1900 , , (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz) Chapter 23

"My greatest wish now," she added, "is to get back to Kansas, for Aunt Em will surely think something dreadful has happened to me, and that will make her put on mourning; and unless the crops are better this year than they were last, I am sure Uncle Henry cannot afford it."

*, chapter=17

, title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=This time was most dreadful for Lilian. Thrown on her own resources and almost penniless, she maintained herself and paid the rent of a wretched room near the hospital by working as a charwoman, sempstress, anything. In a moment she had dropped to the level of a casual labourer.}}

* {{quote-news, year=2011, date=December 10, author=Marc Higginson, work=BBC Sport

, title= Bolton 1-2 Aston Villa , passage=After a dreadful performance in the opening 45 minutes, they upped their game after the break and might have taken at least a point from the match.}}

Adjective

(en adjective)

Of the poorest quality.

Hateful.

* 1779 , Jefferson, letter to Patrick Henry written on March 27

But is an enemy so execrable , that, though in captivity, his wishes and comforts are to be disregarded and even crossed? I think not. It is for the benefit of mankind to mitigate the horrors of war as much as possible.

* {{quote-book

, date = 2001-06-01 , title = Guts: A Comedy of Manners , first = David , last = Langford , authorlink = David Langford , coauthors = Grant, John , publisher = Wildside Press , isbn = 9781587154485 , page = 72 , pageurl = http://books.google.com/books?id=XloXRhUhamIC&pg=PA72&dq=execrable , passage = The arcanely evil words of that despicable, loathsome, suppressed, vile, pululating, odious, nictating, repellent, repugnant, noxious, abhorrent, abominable, tory, execrable , nauseous work, Ye Boke of Guts , moved as if on a conveyor belt before his eyes. }}