Word
dreadfully
Phoneticsdread·ful·ly, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈdɹɛdfəɫi/
UK/dɹˈɛdfəli/
Adverb of degree
Definition
adv. very badly or extremely. You use it to emphasize that something is much worse than you expected.
adv. extremely or very badly; to a high degree. Often used to intensify adjectives related to quality or performance.
Examples
“The weather was dreadfully cold this morning.”
“The play was dreadfully boring, and I found myself checking my watch every few minutes.”
“The report was dreadfully late, causing the board to question the department's ability to meet future deadlines under the current management.”
Examples
simple
“The weather was dreadfully cold this morning.”
contextual
“The play was dreadfully boring, and I found myself checking my watch every few minutes.”
complex
“The report was dreadfully late, causing the board to question the department's ability to meet future deadlines under the current management.”
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English dredfully, dradefullich, dredefullich; equivalent to dreadful + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/dreadfully