adv
dreadfully
DREHD-fuul-ee
adv
1
Very badly or terribly.
"He played dreadfully in the final."
2
Used as an intensifier meaning "extremely."
"I'm dreadfully sorry for the mix-up."
How to Use Dreadfully
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither "in a terrible way" or, informally, "extremely" — often used in polite British apologies.
When to use it
The intensifier sense ("dreadfully sorry") is a distinctly British, somewhat old-fashioned polite usage.
Word Forms
more dreadfully comparative, most dreadfully superlative
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “dreadfully”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
He played _____ in the final.