Translation guide
The English word 'dreadful' describes something extremely bad, unpleasant, or causing fear. In Japanese, the translation depends on whether you mean 'very bad/unpleasant' (quality, experience) or 'inspiring dread/fear' (frightening). The most common use is for everyday complaints about something terrible.
Expressing that something is terrible, awful, or extremely bad in a general sense, often about experiences, weather, performance, etc.
The most common and versatile word for 'dreadful' in the sense of 'terrible' or 'awful'. Can describe weather, pain, a situation, a person's behavior, etc.
今日の天気はひどいですね。
The weather is dreadful today, isn't it?
彼の態度はひどかった。
His attitude was dreadful.
Literally 'the worst'. Very common in casual speech to mean 'dreadful' or 'the absolute worst'. Stronger than ひどい.
昨日のテスト、最悪だった。
Yesterday's test was dreadful.
この映画、最悪だよ。
This movie is dreadful.
Means 'cruel' or 'brutal', but can be used for 'dreadful' when emphasizing the severity or cruelty of a situation. Stronger emotional weight.
それは酷い話だ。
That's a dreadful story.
Describing something that causes a feeling of dread, fear, or horror, such as a monster, a sound, or an event.
The standard word for 'dreadful' in the sense of 'frightening' or 'terrifying'. Can also mean 'terrible' in a more serious, fear-inducing way.
恐ろしい怪物が現れた。
A dreadful monster appeared.
地震は恐ろしい経験だった。
The earthquake was a dreadful experience.
More common for 'scary' or 'frightening' in everyday speech. Can be used for 'dreadful' when the focus is on fear rather than general badness.
Means 'tremendous' or 'dreadful' in an overwhelming sense. Can be used for both fear and intensity.
Using 'dreadful' as an intensifier meaning 'very great' or 'extreme', often with negative nouns like 'mess', 'noise', 'pity'.
The adjective ひどい can directly modify nouns to mean 'dreadful' as an intensifier.
ひどい混乱だった。
It was a dreadful mess.
ひどい騒音で眠れなかった。
I couldn't sleep because of the dreadful noise.
Means 'outrageous' or 'dreadful' in the sense of 'unthinkable'. Stronger and more emotional.
とんでもない間違いだ。
That's a dreadful mistake.
In British English, 'dreadful' can be a mild, almost humorous complaint. In Japanese, ひどい is the closest, but it can sound stronger. Use ちょっとひどい to soften it.
ちょっとひどいね、これ。
This is a bit dreadful, isn't it?
ひどい is for 'terrible' quality/experience; 恐ろしい is for 'dreadful' in the sense of fear/dread. Don't use 恐ろしい for a bad meal unless it was frightening.
That movie was truly dreadful (scary).
ものすごい嵐だった。
It was a dreadful storm.