awe
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.
to inspire with awe.
to influence or restrain by awe.
Origin of awe
1Other words for awe
Opposites for awe
Other words from awe
- outawe, verb (used with object), out·awed, out·aw·ing.
Words Nearby awe
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use awe in a sentence
These paths inspire awe because the labor required to construct them is almost unfathomable.
The Ultimate Acadia National Park Travel Guide | Virginia M. Wright | February 8, 2021 | Outside OnlineI stand in awe of what these women have witnessed and endured, given to the world and left as their legacies.
In ‘Just as I Am,’ actress Cicely Tyson reflects on 96 years of a life well lived | Tre'vell Anderson | January 27, 2021 | Washington PostWhen he jogged back downcourt, he did so open-mouthed — in mock awe of himself.
John Wall gets the best of the Wizards in their first game on opposite sides | Ava Wallace | January 27, 2021 | Washington PostIf you’ve been to the Capitol even once, you remember the awe that you felt when you entered the building.
Storming of the Capitol should give you nightmares | Kathi Wolfe | January 14, 2021 | Washington BladeDoyle consistently strikes just the right tone of awe and reverence for his subjects.
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 | THE DAILY BEASTJohn Luther Adams lives up to the title of his composition, capturing an oceanic torrent of sound in an awe-inspiring performance.
In the art world, sex can be the ultimate attention-grabber, one of the best forms of shock and awe.
He was in awe of Tel Aviv, a gay-friendly city with Pride parades rivaling those in Berlin and Amsterdam.
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 | THE DAILY BEASTStruck with surprise, the dead silence of profound awe, for an instant stilled the whole assembly.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane PorterIt was very unfortunate that the whole establishment stood in unaffected awe of the redoubted Mr Bellamy.
awe stole upon him; he felt himself included in the great ideal of this older day.
The Wave | Algernon BlackwoodThe bishop answered, that the awe of seeing before him so great and wise a prince made him afraid to trust himself.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | VariousYe told me that he only kepit twa sairvents: a cook, hoosekeper, who lived awe', an' a man—a foreigner?
Dope | Sax Rohmer
British Dictionary definitions for awe
/ (ɔː) /
overwhelming wonder, admiration, respect, or dread
archaic power to inspire fear or reverence
(tr) to inspire with reverence or dread
Origin of awe
1Derived forms of awe
- aweless or US awless, adjective
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
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