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Synonyms

awe-inspiring

American  
[aw-in-spahyuhr-ing] / ˈɔ ɪnˌspaɪər ɪŋ /

adjective

  1. causing awe; spectacular; magnificent.

    an awe-inspiring cathedral; an awe-inspiring sunset.
awe-inspiring British  

adjective

  1. causing or worthy of admiration or respect; amazing or magnificent

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of awe-inspiring

First recorded in 1805–15

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.

On March 2, 2026, after bragging about the awe-inspiring lethality of U.S.

From Salon • Mar. 10, 2026

The awe-inspiring dream that often starts as a child can quickly turn into a nightmare for athletes who get blinded by the bright Olympic spotlight.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026

Grantham describes it as “a fast-moving and awe-inspiring invention that seems highly consequential—even worldchanging—to almost everybody, myself included.”

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

The courage and resilience of the people I have met since, who have managed, despite terrible loss and adversity, to turn their shattered lives around, is both humbling and awe-inspiring.

From BBC • Jan. 23, 2026

Pansy was gazing down at Malfoy as though she had never seen anything so awe-inspiring.

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling

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.