The awful war. An awful risk. Dire news. A career or vengeance so direful that London was shocked. The dread presence of the headmaster. Polio is no longer the dreaded disease it once was. A dreadful storm. A fearful howling. Horrendous explosions shook the city. A terrible curse. awful, dire, direful, dread, dreaded, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, frightening, horrendous, horrific, terrible