awful

[aw-fuhl]

adjective

1. extremely bad; unpleasant; ugly.

   awful paintings; an awful job.

2. inspiring fear; dreadful; terrible.

   an awful noise.

3. solemnly impressive; inspiring awe.

   the awful majesty of alpine peaks.

4. full of awe; reverential.

5. extremely dangerous, risky, injurious, etc..

   That was an awful fall she had. He took an awful chance by driving here so fast.

adverb

1. Informal.,  very; extremely.

   He did an awful good job of painting the barn. It's awful hot in here.

awful

/ ˈɔːfʊl /

adjective

1. very bad; unpleasant

2. archaic,  inspiring reverence or dread

3. archaic,  overcome with awe; reverential

adverb

1. not_standard,  (intensifier)

   an awful cold day

Confusables Note

Although some object to any use of awful or awfully in any sense not connected with a feeling of awe, both have been used in other senses for several centuries. Awful and awfully as adverbial intensifiers— awful ( ly ) hot; awful ( ly ) cold —appear in the early 19th century, following much the same pattern as horribly and dreadfully. As an adverb awful is less formal in tone than awfully. In the sense “inspiring awe or fear” awesome has largely replaced awful.

Other Word Forms

• awfulness noun
• quasi-awful adjective
• quasi-awfully adverb
• unawful adjective
• unawfulness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of awful¹

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English a(g)heful, aueful; awe + -ful; replacing Old English egefull “dreadful”

Word History and Origins

Origin of awful¹

C13: see _awe , _-ful

Example Sentences

The emotion, the bonkerdom, the ridiculous high of winning this game and the awful low of losing.

Read more on BBC

"We had to wear these awful BBC Two blouses," Ms Brown said.

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Mr Brown said the facility in which Mrs Hughes-Brown has been detained is "awful", adding that detainees are getting unhealthy food and are not having their medical needs met.

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“It was awful,” Appel, now 42 and married to another man, recalled.

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“I don’t want to hurt anyone. Sometimes I just lose control and smash things. I feel awful about it, really I do!”

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Related Words

• appalling 
• atrocious 
• depressing 
• dire 
• disgusting 
• distressing www.thesaurus.com
• dreadful 
• frightful 
• ghastly 
• gruesome 
• harrowing 
• hideous 
• horrendous 
• horrible 
• horrific 
• horrifying 
• nasty 
• shocking 
• tough 
• ugly