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Dreadful vs False - What's the difference?

dreadful | false |

As adjectives the difference between dreadful and false

is that dreadful is causing dread; very bad while false is (label) one of two states of a boolean variable; logic.

As a noun dreadful

is a shocking or sensational crime.

dreadful

English

Alternative forms

* (l) (archaic) * (l) (obsolete)

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.}}

    Usage notes

    * Nouns to which "dreadful" is often applied: day, night, state, news, time, secret, storm, mistake, accident, story, dream, havoc, truth, loss, act, life, thought, creature, curse, suffering.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A shocking or sensational crime.
  • A shocking or sensational report of a crime.
  • Derived terms

    * penny dreadful

    References

    * (EtymOnLine)

    false

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Untrue, not factual, factually incorrect.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1551, year_published=1888
  • , title= A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles: Founded Mainly on the Materials Collected by the Philological Society , section=Part 1, publisher=Clarendon Press, location=Oxford, editor= , volume=1, page=217 , passage=Also the rule of false position, with dyuers examples not onely vulgar, but some appertaynyng to the rule of Algeber.}}
  • Based on factually incorrect premises: false legislation
  • Spurious, artificial.
  • :
  • *
  • *:At her invitation he outlined for her the succeeding chapters with terse military accuracy?; and what she liked best and best understood was avoidance of that false modesty which condescends, turning technicality into pabulum.
  • (lb) Of a state in Boolean logic that indicates a negative result.
  • Uttering falsehood; dishonest or deceitful.
  • :
  • Not faithful or loyal, as to obligations, allegiance, vows, etc.; untrue; treacherous.
  • :
  • *(John Milton) (1608-1674)
  • *:I to myself was false , ere thou to me.
  • Not well founded; not firm or trustworthy; erroneous.
  • :
  • *(Edmund Spenser) (c.1552–1599)
  • *:whose false foundation waves have swept away
  • Not essential or permanent, as parts of a structure which are temporary or supplemental.
  • (lb) Out of tune.
  • Noun

    (en noun)
  • One of two options on a true-or-false test.
  • Synonyms

    * * See also

    Antonyms

    * (untrue) real, true

    Derived terms

    * false attack * false dawn * false friend * falsehood * falseness * falsify * falsity

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • Not truly; not honestly; falsely.
  • * Shakespeare
  • You play me false .

    Anagrams

    * * 1000 English basic words ----