awe

[aw]

See more synonyms for awe on Thesaurus.com

noun

an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, etc., produced by that which is grand, sublime, extremely powerful, or the like: in awe of God; in awe of great political figures.
Archaic. power to inspire fear or reverence.
Obsolete. fear or dread.

verb (used with object), awed, aw·ing.

to inspire with awe.
to influence or restrain by awe.

Origin of awe

1250–1300; Middle English aghe, awe < Scandinavian; compare Old Norse agi fear, cognate with Gothic agis, Old English ege, Greek áchos pain

Related formsout·awe, verb (used with object), out·awed, out·aw·ing.

Synonyms for awe

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1. wonder, veneration.

Antonyms for awe

1. apathy; contempt.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for awe

admiration, dread, apprehension, horror, shock, esteem, astonishment, reverence, terror, consternation, wonderment, wonder, dazzle, intimidate, frighten, alarm, stupefy, impress, startle, astonish

Examples from the Web for awe

Contemporary Examples of awe

The shared feelings, the bubbling emotion, the awe: she became an experience.
Bow Down, Bitches: How Beyoncé Turned an Elevator Brawl Into a Perfect Year
Kevin Fallon
December 31, 2014
In the art world, sex can be the ultimate attention-grabber, one of the best forms of shock and awe.
Sex-Crazed Narcissist Pretends He's an Artist
Justin Jones
August 20, 2014
He was in awe of Tel Aviv, a gay-friendly city with Pride parades rivaling those in Berlin and Amsterdam.
Gay Palestinians In Israel: The 'Invisible Men'
Itay Hod
August 13, 2014
I watched in awe as he virtually caromed off the walls of the classrooms and hallways.
Robin Williams and Christopher Reeve's Epic Friendship and the Greatest Williams Story Ever Told
Marlow Stern
August 12, 2014
As usual, I spent most of my time in awe of my fellow cosplaying women.
Comic-Con’s Year of the Kickass Woman
Kendra Pettis
July 28, 2014

Historical Examples of awe

With an undefined feeling of awe, she looked in the countenance of her friend.
Philothea
Lydia Maria Child
"Heads for her, tails for me," he said, with some awe in his tone.
Punchinello, Vol. 1. No. 20, August 13, 1870
Various
You did not like to look at it, and you could not meet it without unpleasantness and awe.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. 327
Various
Besides, she did not stand in awe of Gilder, as did the others in his service.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
With all his masterfulness he was very considerably in awe of Miss Allis.
Thoroughbreds
W. A. Fraser

British Dictionary definitions for awe

awe

noun

overwhelming wonder, admiration, respect, or dread
archaic power to inspire fear or reverence

verb

(tr) to inspire with reverence or dread

Derived Formsaweless or US awless, adjective

Word Origin for awe

C13: from Old Norse agi; related to Gothic agis fear, Greek akhesthai to be grieved

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

Word Origin and History for awe

c.1300, earlier aghe, c.1200, from a Scandinavian source, e.g. Old Norse agi "fright;" from Proto-Germanic *agiz- (cf. Old English ege "fear," Old High German agiso "fright, terror," Gothic agis "fear, anguish"), from PIE *agh-es- (cf. Greek akhos "pain, grief"), from root *agh- "to be depressed, be afraid" (see ail). Current sense of "dread mixed with veneration" is due to biblical use with reference to the Supreme Being. Awe-inspiring is recorded from 1814.

c.1300, from awe (n.); Old English had egan (v.). Related: Awed; awing.