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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
aw·ful    Audio Help   [aw-fuhl] Pronunciation Key
–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.

[Origin: 1200–50; ME a(g)heful, aueful; see awe, -ful; r. OE egefull dreadful]

aw·ful·ness, noun

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 (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
awful

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© 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
aw·ful    Audio Help   (ô'fəl)  Pronunciation Key 
adj.  
  1. Extremely bad or unpleasant; terrible: had an awful day at the office.
  2. Commanding awe: "this sea, whose gently awful stirrings seem to speak of some hidden soul beneath" (Herman Melville).
  3. Filled with awe, especially:
    1. Filled with or displaying great reverence.
    2. Obsolete Afraid.
  4. Formidable in nature or extent: an awful burden; an awful risk.

adv.   Informal
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.
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
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
WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
awful

adjective
1. exceptionally bad or displeasing; "atrocious taste"; "abominable workmanship"; "an awful voice"; "dreadful manners"; "a painful performance"; "terrible handwriting"; "an unspeakable odor came sweeping into the room" [syn: atrocious
2. 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" 
3. offensive or even (of persons) malicious; "in a nasty mood"; "a nasty accident"; "a nasty shock"; "a nasty smell"; "a nasty trick to pull"; "Will he say nasty things at my funeral?"- Ezra Pound [syn: nasty] [ant: nice
4. inspired by a feeling of fearful wonderment or reverence; "awed by the silence"; "awful worshippers with bowed heads" [syn: awed
5. extreme in degree or extent or amount or impact; "in a frightful hurry"; "spent a frightful amount of money" [syn: frightful
6. inspiring awe or admiration or wonder; "New York is an amazing city"; "the Grand Canyon is an awe-inspiring sight"; "the awesome complexity of the universe"; "this sea, whose gently awful stirrings seem to speak of some hidden soul beneath"- Melville; "Westminster Hall's awing majesty, so vast, so high, so silent" [syn: amazing

adverb
1. used as intensifiers; "terribly interesting"; "I'm awful sorry" [syn: terribly

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
awful1 [ˈoːful] adjective
very great
Example: an awful rush
Arabic: هائِل، عَظيم
Chinese (Simplified): 非常的
Chinese (Traditional): 非常的
Czech: hrozný, nesmírný
Danish: forfærdelig
Dutch: vreselijk
Estonian: kohutav
Finnish: hirvittävä
French: terrible
German: riesig
Greek: φοβερός, τεράστιος
Hungarian: borzasztó
Icelandic: ofboðslegur; hræðilegur
Indonesian: hebat
Italian: terribile
Japanese: すさまじい
Korean: 대단한
Latvian: šausmīgs
Lithuanian: baisus
Norwegian: forferdelig
Polish: straszny
Portuguese (Brazil): terrível
Portuguese (Portugal): terrível
Romanian: grozav
Russian: огромный
Slovak: nesmierny
Slovenian: velikanski
Spanish: enorme, imponente; terrible, tremendo
Swedish: väldig, förfärlig
Turkish: çok büyük
awful2 [ˈoːful] adjective
very bad
Example: This book is awful; an awful experience
Arabic: مُفْزِع، مُرْعِب
Chinese (Simplified): 极坏的
Chinese (Traditional): 極壞的
Czech: strašný, hrozný
Danish: forfærdelig; frygtelig
Dutch: vreselijk
Estonian: hirmus
Finnish: kamala
French: épouvantable
German: furchtbar
Greek: απαίσιος, πολύ δυσάρεστος
Hungarian: rettenetes
Icelandic: hræðilegur
Indonesian: buruk sekali
Italian: orribile
Japanese: ひどい
Korean: 지독한
Latvian: briesmīgs
Lithuanian: baisus, siaubingas
Norwegian: forferdelig
Polish: straszny, okropny
Portuguese (Brazil): horrível
Portuguese (Portugal): horrível
Romanian: oribil
Russian: ужасный
Slovak: hrozný
Slovenian: grozen
Spanish: horrible, horroroso
Swedish: hemsk, förfärlig
Turkish: berbat, çok kötü
awful3 [ˈoːful] adjective
severe
Example: an awful headache
Arabic: فَظيع، سَيء جِداً
Chinese (Simplified): 严重的
Chinese (Traditional): 嚴重的
Czech: prudký
Danish: forfærdelig; frygtelig
Dutch: vreselijk
Estonian: kohutav
Finnish: kamala
French: terrible
German: furchtbar
Greek: φοβερός, πολύ έντονος, σοβαρός
Hungarian: szörnyű
Icelandic: ógurlegur, hræðilegur
Indonesian: parah
Italian: terribile, tremendo
Japanese: ひどい
Korean: 심한
Latvian: briesmīgs; ārkārtīgs
Lithuanian: baisus
Norwegian: forferdelig, grusom
Polish: straszny
Portuguese (Brazil): terrível
Portuguese (Portugal): forte
Romanian: îngrozitor
Russian: ужасный
Slovak: prudký
Slovenian: strašen
Spanish: terrible
Swedish: fruktansvärd, ryslig
Turkish: şiddetli, müthiş
See also: awfully

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary, © 2000-2006 K Dictionaries Ltd.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

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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