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Flagrant vs Dreadful - What's the difference?

flagrant | dreadful |

As adjectives the difference between flagrant and dreadful

is that flagrant is obvious and offensive, blatant, scandalous while dreadful is causing dread; very bad.

As a noun dreadful is

a shocking or sensational crime.

flagrant

English

Alternative forms

* flagraunt (qualifier)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) flagrant, from (etyl) flagrantem, present participle of . More at (l).

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Obvious and offensive, blatant, scandalous
  • * 1740, David Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature
  • It is certain, therefore, that in all our notions of morals we never entertain such an absurdity as that of passive obedience, but make allowances for resistance in the more flagrant instances of tyranny and oppression.
  • (archaic) On fire, flaming.
  • Synonyms
    * (obvious and offensive) blatant, glaring * (on fire) burning, flaming

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (obsolete)
  • ----

    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)