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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

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.

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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.

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

From Salon • Mar. 10, 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

The capital is awe-inspiring thanks to Pierre Charles L’Enfant’s 1791 master plan, perfected by the 1901-02 McMillan Plan creating the National Mall and monumental core as we know them.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

The grand staircase is ahead, with the awe-inspiring lions on either side.

From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari

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.