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awful - 4 dictionary results
aw⋅ful
[aw-fuh
l] 
–adjective
| 1. | extremely bad; unpleasant; ugly: awful paintings; an awful job. |
| 2. | inspiring fear; dreadful; terrible: an awful noise. |
| 3. | solemnly impressive; inspiring awe: the awful majesty of alpine peaks. |
| 4. | full of awe; reverential. |
| 5. | extremely dangerous, risky, injurious, etc.: That was an awful fall she had. He took an awful chance by driving here so fast. |
–adverb
| 6. | Informal. very; extremely: He did an awful good job of painting the barn. It's awful hot in here. |
Related forms:
aw⋅ful⋅ness, noun
Usage note:
Although some object to any use of awful or awfully in any sense not connected with a feeling of awe, both have been used in other senses for several centuries. Awful and awfully as adverbial intensifiers—awful(ly)hot; awful(ly)cold—appear in the early 19th century, following much the same pattern as horribly anddreadfully. As an adverb awful is less formal in tone than awfully. In the sense “inspiring awe or fear” awesome has largely replaced awful.
Although some object to any use of awful or awfully in any sense not connected with a feeling of awe, both have been used in other senses for several centuries. Awful and awfully as adverbial intensifiers—awful(ly)hot; awful(ly)cold—appear in the early 19th century, following much the same pattern as horribly anddreadfully. As an adverb awful is less formal in tone than awfully. In the sense “inspiring awe or fear” awesome has largely replaced awful.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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|
Link To awful
| aw·ful (ô'fəl) adj.
Extremely; very: was awful sick. [Middle English aweful, awe-inspiring, blend of awe, awe; see awe, and *ayfull, awful (from Old English egefull : ege, dread + -full, -ful).] aw'ful·ly adv., aw'ful·ness n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Awful
Aw"ful\, a. 1. Oppressing with fear or horror; appalling; terrible; as, an awful scene. "The hour of Nature's awful throes." --Hemans. 2. Inspiring awe; filling with profound reverence, or with fear and admiration; fitted to inspire reverential fear; profoundly impressive. Heaven's awful Monarch. --Milton. 3. Struck or filled with awe; terror-stricken. [Obs.] A weak and awful reverence for antiquity. --I. Watts. 4. Worshipful; reverential; law-abiding. [Obs.] Thrust from the company of awful men. --Shak. 5. Frightful; exceedingly bad; great; -- applied intensively; as, an awful bonnet; an awful boaster. [Slang] Syn: See Frightful.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : awful
Spanish:
enorme, imponente; terrible, tremendo,
German:
riesig,
Japanese:
すさまじい
awful
c.1300, agheful, from aghe, an earlier form of awe. Replaced O.E. egefull. Slang intensive use of awful "exceedingly" is from 1818.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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