awesome
Americanadjective
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causing or inducing awe; inspiring an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, or fear.
an awesome sight.
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exhibiting or marked by awe; showing reverence, admiration, or fear.
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Slang. very impressive.
That new white convertible is totally awesome.
adjective
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inspiring or displaying awe
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slang excellent or outstanding
Commonly Confused
See awful.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of awesome
Explanation
An awesome something or someone is amazing, breathtaking, or overwhelming. Like traveling the globe in a hot air balloon or visiting the Taj Mahal. Or, if you're 7, hearing someone burp the alphabet. Awesome popped on the scene around 1600, probably in a church. It first meant “profoundly reverential,” but morphed later into an adjective meaning “inspiring awe.” Flash forward to the 20th century, when awesome transformed once again — this time into an everyday word for "impressive." These days it's synonymous with "outstanding" and "totally cool."
Vocabulary lists containing awesome
Beowulf vocabulary
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myPerspectives 9.5
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Wow! Synonyms for "Amazing"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Again, it’s only preseason ... but, man, he was awesome.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Six figures is “an awesome accomplishment for any American,” but compared to the 1990s, “it doesn’t feel the same,” CJ Stermetz, a financial planner and founder at EquityFTW, told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Asked for comment, Environmental Protection Agency press secretary Brigit Hirsch told AFP: "Fireworks are awesome and we hope everyone enjoyed the incredible shows in and around our nation's capital to celebrate 250 years of America."
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
“The conversation tends to be more like, ‘That’s awesome, and I bet you’re saving money.’”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
As awesome and amazing as it was to be touching an actual Holy Being from the creation stories, Nathan still had to find a way back to Nali’s place.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
