awfully
Americanadverb
-
very; extremely.
That was awfully nice of you. He's awfully slow.
-
in a manner provoking censure, disapproval, or the like.
She behaved awfully all evening.
-
Archaic.
-
in a manner inspiring awe.
shouting awfully the dreaded curse.
-
in a manner expressing awe.
to stare awfully.
-
adverb
-
in an unpleasant, bad, or reprehensible manner
-
informal (intensifier)
I'm awfully keen to come
-
archaic so as to express or inspire awe
Commonly Confused
See awful.
Etymology
Origin of awfully
Explanation
Use the adverb awfully to emphasize something, or to mean "very." You might say that you'd love to live in New York City, but it's awfully expensive. The word awfully is most often used for emphasis, as a way to say "extremely," "immensely," or "highly." Your newborn nephew might be awfully cute, or your surprise birthday party might be awfully fun. You can also use the word to mean "dreadfully" or "terribly," as in "My team played just awfully, so I wasn't surprised when they lost the game." The original meaning was "inspiring awe" or "inspiring reverence."
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.
He’s lived long enough to get used to the feeling of being unfortunately, awfully correct.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
It’s the same in banking, and the times right now are looking awfully sweet for the biggest U.S. behemoths.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Millions of Americans have trouble making ends meet, and a class-action lawsuit check can feel like awfully good timing.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 27, 2026
After the statement, a well-known photo of Donald Trump, Melania, Epstein, and Maxwell together at an event in the year 2000, standing close and looking awfully cozy, began to circulate online once again.
From Slate ● Apr. 10, 2026
Then, in a swift change of mood, she said, “Mary will be awfully happy here, won’t she? I mean—she knows how to be happy. Being happy takes a lot of practice, don’t you think?”
From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham
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.
