# dreadfully

/ˈdɹɛdfəɫi/ (US) · /dɹˈɛdfəli/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Adverb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dreadfully
Updated: 2026-05-30

## Definition

very badly or extremely. You use it to emphasize that something is much worse than you expected.

For teachers: 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.