awful vs. terrible vs. frightful vs. horrible vs. dreadful vs. ужасный (draft)
Дата публикации: Aug 01, 2021 1:27:3 PM
ужасный
страшный; вызывающий ужас
Однажды они все вскочили, потому что донесся ужасный звериный крик, — кричал мужчина, и от этого было особенно страшно. А. А. Фадеев, «Молодая гвардия», 1943—1951 г. (цитата из Национального корпуса русского языка, см. Список литературы)
Интересно, что когда действительно пришла пора уходить, даже близко подобных чувств не возникло, но тогда — ужасный, животный страх, как бывает у детей, которые боятся смерти больше, чем взрослые, стоящие к ней ближе. Наталья Бестемьянова, Игорь Бобрин, Андрей Букин, «Пара, в которой трое», 2000—2001 г. (цитата из Национального корпуса русского языка, см. Список литературы)
очень плохой; отвратительный
Насте приходится подниматься на последний этаж и там стаскивать с себя парик, очки и стирать ужасный макияж. Д. Донцова, «Доллары царя Гороха», 2004 г. (цитата из Национального корпуса русского языка, см. Список литературы)
Я говорю, что не могла достать «В поисках утраченного времени» по-французски, начала по-русски, бросила — перевод был ужасный. Масленикова Зоя, «Разговоры с Пастернаком», 2001 г. (цитата из Национального корпуса русского языка, см. Список литературы)
сильный, обладающий каким-то качеством в огромной мере
Вячеслав Илларионович ужасный охотник до прекрасного пола и, как только увидит у себя в уездном городе на бульваре хорошенькую особу, немедленно пустится за нею вслед. И. С. Тургенев, «Два помещика», 1847 г.
В классе снова сразу же поднялся ужасный шум, но отдельные выкрики, конечно, можно было разобрать. Валерий Медведев, «Баранкин, будь человеком!», 1957 г. (цитата из Национального корпуса русского языка, см. Список литературы)
Кстати, из Бельгии мне без конца, чуть ли не по два письма в день пишет один старик, ужасный болтун, пишет обо всем на свете. Масленикова Зоя, «Разговоры с Пастернаком», 2001 г. (цитата из Национального корпуса русского языка, см. Список литературы)
frightful adjective BrE /ˈfraɪtfl/ ; NAmE /ˈfraɪtfl/ (old-fashioned, especially British English)
1. (informal) used to emphasize how bad something is
synonym awful, terrible
It was absolutely frightful!
This room's in a frightful mess.
They’re making a frightful noise.
2. very serious or unpleasant
synonym awful, terrible
a frightful accident
awful adjective BrE /ˈɔːfl/ ; NAmE /ˈɔːfl/
1. (informal) very bad or unpleasant
That's an awful colour.
‘They didn't even offer to pay.’ ‘Oh that's awful.’
It's awful, isn't it?
The weather last summer was awful.
I feel awful about forgetting her birthday.
to look/feel awful (= to look/feel ill)
There's an awful smell in here.
The awful thing is, it was my fault.
2. (informal) used to emphasize something, especially that there is a large amount or too much of something
It's going to cost an awful lot of money.
There's not an awful lot of room.
I feel an awful lot better than I did yesterday.
(British English) I had an awful job persuading him to come (= it was very difficult).
3. very shocking
synonym terrible
the awful horrors of war
Word Origin Old English (see awe, -ful).
Extra examples
She’s the most awful snob.
The fish tasted awful.
a truly awful book
‘They didn’t even offer to pay.’ ‘Oh that’s awful.’
He had never known the awful horrors of war.
I feel awful—maybe it was something I ate.
I woke from the most awful nightmare.
It was only later that we learned the awful truth.
It’s going to cost an awful lot of money.
That’s an awful colour.
The whole thing has been an awful nuisance.
There’s not an awful lot of room.
terrible adjective BrE /ˈterəbl/ ; NAmE /ˈterəbl/
1. very unpleasant; making you feel very unhappy, upset or frightened
a terrible experience
What terrible news!
I've just had a terrible thought.
It was a terrible thing to happen to someone so young.
That’s a terrible thing to say!
2. causing great harm or injury; very serious
a terrible accident
He had suffered terrible injuries.
I'll have to stay with her—she's in a terrible state.
3. [not before noun] unhappy or ill/sick
I feel terrible—I think I'll go to bed.
You look terrible, you'd better sit down.
See related entries: Unhappiness
4. (informal) of very bad quality; very bad
a terrible meal
Your driving is terrible!
5. [only before noun] used to show the great extent or degree of something bad
a terrible mistake
to be in terrible pain
The room was in a terrible mess.
(informal) I had a terrible job (= it was very difficult) to persuade her to come.
You’ll be in terrible trouble if you’re late again.
Word Origin late Middle English (in the sense ‘causing terror’): via French from Latin terribilis, from terrere ‘frighten’.
Extra examples
I thought something really terrible had happened.
It must have been terrible for the survivors.
Nothing very terrible happened.
He’s had a terrible shock.
How terrible for you!
I feel terrible—I think I’ll go to bed.
I feel terrible: it could so easily have ended in tragedy and I just didn’t think.
I had a terrible job to persuade her to come.
I have a terrible memory for names.
I’ll have to stay with her—she’s in a terrible state.
I’m afraid there’s been a terrible mistake.
I’ve just had a terrible thought.
It was the night of that terrible storm.
She was involved in a terrible accident when she was a child.
That’s a terrible thing to say!
We had a terrible meal at that restaurant.
You’ll be in terrible trouble if you’re late again.
horrible adjective BrE /ˈhɒrəbl/ ; NAmE /ˈhɔːrəbl/ , /ˈhɑːrəbl/
1. (informal) very bad or unpleasant; used to describe something that you do not like
horrible weather/children/shoes
The coffee tasted horrible.
I've got a horrible feeling she lied to us.
It was horrible sitting there all on my own.
2. making you feel very shocked and frightened
synonym terrible
a horrible crime/nightmare
3. (informal) (of people or their behaviour) unfriendly, unpleasant or unkind
synonym nasty, obnoxious
a horrible man
My sister was being horrible to me all day.
What a horrible thing to say!
Word Origin Middle English: via Old French from Latin horribilis, from horrere ‘tremble, shudder’.
Extra examples
My sister has always been horrible to me.
That was a really horrible thing to say!
a pretty horrible experience
a truly horrible sight
I’ve got a horrible feeling she lied to us.
She woke from a horrible nightmare.
What a horrible child.
vile adjective BrE /vaɪl/ ; NAmE /vaɪl/ (viler, vilest)
1. (informal) extremely unpleasant or bad
synonym disgusting
a vile smell
The weather was really vile most of the time.
He was in a vile mood.
Synonyms
2. (formal) morally bad; completely unacceptable
synonym wicked
the vile practice of taking hostages
Word Origin Middle English: via Old French from Latin vilis ‘of low value’.
Extra examples
a pretty vile thing to do
a really vile smell
It was a vile business from beginning to end.
There was a vile smell coming from the locked room.
horrendous adjective BrE /hɒˈrendəs/ ; NAmE /hɔːˈrendəs/ , /hɑːˈrendəs/
1. extremely shocking
synonym horrific, horrifying
horrendous injuries
The police officer said the attack was the most horrendous he had ever seen.
2. (informal) extremely unpleasant and unacceptable
synonym terrible
horrendous traffic
They have horrendous financial problems.
Some speakers do not pronounce the ‘h’ at the beginning of horrendous and use ‘an’ instead of ‘a’ before it. This now sounds old-fashioned.
Word Origin mid 17th cent.: from Latin horrendus (gerund of horrere ‘(of hair) stand on end’) + -ous.
Extra examples
The conditions in the camp were absolutely horrendous.
a pretty horrendous experience
She had sustained horrendous injuries.
The traffic around the city was horrendous.
The whole experience was just horrendous.
Synonyms
terrible awful horrible dreadful vile horrendous
These words all describe something that is very unpleasant.
terrible very bad or unpleasant; making you feel unhappy, frightened, upset, ill, guilty or disapproving:
What terrible news! That’s a terrible thing to say!
awful (rather informal) very bad or unpleasant; used to describe something that you do not like or that makes you feel depressed, ill, guilty or disapproving:
That’s an awful colour. The weather last summer was awful.
horrible (rather informal) very unpleasant; used to describe something that you do not like:
The coffee tasted horrible.
dreadful (rather informal, especially British English) very bad or unpleasant; used to describe something that you do not like or that you disapprove of:
What dreadful weather!
vile (informal) extremely bad or unpleasant:
There was a vile smell coming from the room.
He was in a vile mood.
horrendous (rather informal) extremely unpleasant and unacceptable:
The traffic around the city was horrendous.
Patterns
terrible/awful/horrible/dreadful for somebody
a(n) terrible/awful/horrible/dreadful/vile thing
a(n) terrible/awful/horrible/vile smell
terrible/awful/horrible/dreadful/vile/horrendous conditions
terrible/awful/horrible/dreadful/vile weather
terrible/awful/dreadful news
+ see afraid vs. frightened vs. scared vs. terrified vs. alarmed vs. paranoid