awe

[aw]

noun

1. 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.

   Synonyms: veneration, wonder
   Antonyms: contempt, apathy

2. Archaic.,  power to inspire fear or reverence.

3. Obsolete.,  fear or dread.

verb (used with object)

awed, awing 

1. to inspire with awe.

2. to influence or restrain by awe.

awe

/ ɔː /

noun

1. overwhelming wonder, admiration, respect, or dread

2. archaic,  power to inspire fear or reverence

verb

1. (tr) to inspire with reverence or dread

Other Word Forms

• outawe verb (used with object)
• aweless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of awe¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English aghe, awe, from Scandinavian; compare Old Norse agi “fear,” cognate with Gothic agis, Old English ege, Greek áchos “pain”

Word History and Origins

Origin of awe¹

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

Example Sentences

They then spent eight days on the road with a Chinese driver, travelling through mountains and lush steppes, which left Mr Sun in awe.

Read more on BBC

"Colleagues from around the world have been in awe of the fantastic conservation work that has been done," says Dr Tarek Tawfik, adding that the entire project is a source of great national pride.

Read more on BBC

However, this upscaling only underscores the shortcomings of these images, leaving us not in awe of the heavens but adrift in the void.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Barely a speech goes by without him addressing the destructive power of nuclear weapons with a kind of awe that befits a 79-year-old who grew up during the Cold War.

Read more on Barron's

Her first spoken word, which comes to her while gazing in awe upon a “disappearing machine,” as she thinks of it, is the French term for “vacuum cleaner.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• alarm 
• astonish 
• daunt 
• dazzle 
• flabbergast 
• frighten 
• horrify 
• impress 
• intimidate 
• scare 
• startle 
• stun 
• stupefy 
• terrify