awe-inspiring
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of awe-inspiring
First recorded in 1805–15
Explanation
When something is so astonishing or magnificent that you can hardly speak, it's awe-inspiring. You dream might be to travel to Arizona to see the awe-inspiring sight of the Grand Canyon. What's awe-inspiring is in the eye of the beholder — in other words, your first visit to New York may provide one awe-inspiring sight after another, from the towering skyscrapers to the Statue of Liberty. Someone born and raised there might be unimpressed, finding the rugged coast of Maine to be far more awe-inspiring. If something inspires a feeling of awe in you (a sense of overwhelming wonder), it's awe-inspiring.
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.
As recreated by the pop superstar’s nephew Jaafar Jackson in a radiant screen debut, Michael Jackson’s singing and dancing are as dynamic, even awe-inspiring, as they ever were.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
On March 2, 2026, after bragging about the awe-inspiring lethality of U.S.
From Salon • Mar. 10, 2026
He said being surrounded by the sea was "sort of awe-inspiring and sort of peaceful, but also terrible" due to its power.
From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026
Whether you’re planning a road trip or reading from the comfort of home, get a glimpse of awe-inspiring vistas, rugged wildlife, tales of resilience and more.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2026
There was the same cool green light from the canopy, the same refulgent smell, the same awe-inspiring sense of variety.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
