| Adj. | 1. | fearsome - causing fear or dread or terror; "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"direful, dread, dreaded, dreadful, fearful, frightening, horrendous, terrible, awful, dire, horrific | |