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effroyable

dreadful

adjective eh-frwah-YABL Rare

Origin: from effroi 'terror' + -able

Also means

frightful

Usage Note

Effroyable sits at a stronger register than terrible or horrible, implying something that inspires deep dread. The adverb effroyablement ('dreadfully') is common in both formal and casual speech to intensify descriptions. It agrees in gender and number: une tragédie effroyable, des conditions effroyables.

Examples

"L'accident a été effroyable à voir."

Natural Translation

The accident was dreadful to witness.

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