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British

awesome

[ aw-suhm ]

/ ˈɔ səm /

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See synonyms for awesome on Thesaurus.com

adjective

causing or inducing awe; inspiring an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, or fear: an awesome sight.

exhibiting or marked by awe; showing reverence, admiration, or fear.

Slang. very impressive: That new white convertible is totally awesome.

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Do You Remember This Radical 80s Slang?

When you re-hear to this 80's slang you'll feel like you've been transported back in time. Do you remember these totally 80's words?

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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

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Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of awesome

First recorded in 1590–1600; awe + -some¹

words often confused with awesome

See awful.

OTHER WORDS FROM awesome

awe·some·ly, adverbawe·some·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH awesome

awful, awesome (see confusables note at awful)

Words nearby awesome

aweather, awed, aweigh, awe-inspiring, aweless, awesome, awesomesauce, awestruck, aweto, awful, awfully

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use awesome in a sentence

The pandemic has led me to go on a lot more outdoorsy dates, which is awesome.
Meet D.C.’s Most Eligible LGBTQ Singles|Staff reports|February 11, 2021|Washington Blade
It was an awesome one-day conference where we were able to see presentations from various Googlers about what they were working on across Search.
Quest for more coverage: Making a case for larger exports from Google Search Console’s Coverage reporting|Glenn Gabe|February 9, 2021|Search Engine Land
For me, it was a little bit scary, but this is a really awesome community.
How French Baking Was Brought to Virginia|Eugene Robinson|February 5, 2021|Ozy
His parents pick her up from preschool once a week to give the mom a break and get to know this awesome little girl.
Carolyn Hax: Her son isn’t there for his child, but she can still be a good grandma|Carolyn Hax|February 4, 2021|Washington Post

“Every main character deserves an awesome sidekick,” said StVil about the rodent with a big personality.
Author’s immigrant story inspires debut novel for kids|Mary Quattlebaum|February 2, 2021|Washington Post
We see Peck's character change and at the same time we see the awesome size of the forces he's up against.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Our awesome booking agency, High Road Touring, takes a commission for booking the tour.
How Much Money Does a Band Really Make on Tour?|Jack Conte|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Emergent procedures provide their benefit right away and have the awesome potential to rescue a patient from the brink of death.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Risky Heart Surgery|Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He pitched it to me and I was like, man that sounds awesome.
Michael B. Jordan: Playing a Black Superhero in 'Fantastic Four' Is a 'Huge Responsibility'|Kevin Fallon|September 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And they were so funny and awesome that I thought, “I want to do that.”
'So You Think You Can Dance' Winner Ricky Ubeda Is Adorable, and Tired|Kevin Fallon|September 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The sudden pall of darkness in this strange house of mystery was just a tiny bit awesome.
The Boarded-Up House|Augusta Huiell Seaman
There was the awesome efficiency of wolfsbane with its deadly store of aconite.
The Status Civilization|Robert Sheckley
It would need awesome circumstances indeed to send a modern Vice-Chancellor through the night to inquire of an astrologer.
The Age of Erasmus|P. S. Allen
This weird conception of those awesome saints I had gained out of the books of the scholastics and church fathers.
Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians|Martin Luther
Then an awesome silence ensued, broken only by the bold chirp of an unabashed robin successfully hunting worms in the grass-plot.
And So They Were Married|Florence Morse Kingsley

British Dictionary definitions for awesome

awesome

/ (ˈɔːsəm) /

adjective

inspiring or displaying awe

slang excellent or outstanding

Derived forms of awesome

awesomely, adverbawesomeness, noun

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