Dreadfulnesses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The qualities or states that cause intense fear, horror, or suffering in people
2. Conditions characterized by an extreme degree of fear, terror, or severe distress
3. Attributes that evoke profound anxiety, fright, or dreadful experiences

Etymology: "Dreadfulnesses" is simply the plural of "dreadfulness," a noun built from the adjective "dreadful" plus the suffix "-ness," which turns an adjective into a noun for a quality or state. "Dreadful" itself comes from "dread," an older word for fear or awe, and the adjective was formed by adding "-ful," meaning full of or having the quality of. So the adjective originally meant full of dread, and "dreadfulness" names the quality of being that way. The noun "dreadfulness" appeared in Middle English as "dredfulnesse" or "dredefulnesse," showing that English speakers had been combining these parts for several centuries. Its plural form, "dreadfulnesses," is the form of that same noun used when referring to several separate instances or kinds of dreadfulness.

Synonyms: atrocity, horror, abomination, wickedness, evil

Antonyms: goodness, virtue, kindness, excellence, worthiness