awe-inspiring
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of awe-inspiring
First recorded in 1805–15
Explanation
When something is so astonishing or magnificent that you can hardly speak, it's awe-inspiring. You dream might be to travel to Arizona to see the awe-inspiring sight of the Grand Canyon. What's awe-inspiring is in the eye of the beholder — in other words, your first visit to New York may provide one awe-inspiring sight after another, from the towering skyscrapers to the Statue of Liberty. Someone born and raised there might be unimpressed, finding the rugged coast of Maine to be far more awe-inspiring. If something inspires a feeling of awe in you (a sense of overwhelming wonder), it's awe-inspiring.
Vocabulary lists containing awe-inspiring
Amazing
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Amazing
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Amazing
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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 told the conference: "We discovered what we think is a black hole merging with a massive companion star, shredding it into a disk that feeds the black hole. It's a rare and awe-inspiring phenomenon."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
Herds of rampaging wildebeest have looked less awe-inspiring as these fans have for weeks.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
‘Supergirl’ flies into theaters, Larry David returns with a new sketch-comedy series, the awe-inspiring Raphael exhibition closes at the Met, and more.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
The director’s trademarks haven’t been this thrilling in years, with Janusz Kamiński’s camera doing tricks that rival his most awe-inspiring work, and John Williams’ score ratcheting the tension in chase scenes and action sequences.
From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2026
Still, I wasn’t convinced I’d find anything awe-inspiring.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
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.
