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Wondrous vs Dreadful - What's the difference?

wondrous | dreadful | Related terms |

Wondrous is a related term of dreadful.


As adjectives the difference between wondrous and dreadful

is that wondrous is amazing, inspiring awe, "to be marvelled at" while dreadful is causing dread; very bad.

As an adverb wondrous

is in a wonderful degree; remarkably.

As a noun dreadful is

a shocking or sensational crime.

wondrous

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Amazing, inspiring awe, "to be marvelled at".
    • We all stared open mouthed at the wondrous sight, speechless.

    Synonyms

    * See

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • In a wonderful degree; remarkably.
  • *XIX century , , by Emily Dickinson
  • *:As by the dead we love to sit, / Become so wondrous dear — / As for the lost we grapple / Tho' all the rest are here [...]

    • 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)