overawe
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
overawesimple
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overawessimple
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have overawedperfect
-
has overawedperfect
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am overawingprogressive
-
are overawingprogressive
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is overawingprogressive
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have been overawingperfect progressive
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has been overawingperfect progressive
Past
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overawedsimple
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had overawedperfect
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was overawingprogressive
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were overawingprogressive
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had been overawingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of overawe
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.
See Examples For:
Many had wondered whether the occasion would overawe Cameron, but she cut a relaxed figure as 'Don't worry about a thing' rang out during her ring walk.
From BBC ● May 20, 2023
Since conversion was thought to excuse conquest, these devotional artworks had to overawe their viewers.
From New York Times ● Oct. 27, 2022
The West is more immediate and can still overawe the spectator with substantial remnants of its old annihilating grandeur.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 9, 2017
Hoping to overawe the people of the land, Lewis would let out a blast of his air rifle, a relatively new piece of technology the Native Americans had never seen.
From Textbooks ● Dec. 30, 2014
Jonathan’s impetuosity, and the manifest singleness of his purpose, seemed to overawe those in front of him; instinctively they cowered, aside and let him pass.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
In the same way, these young people live in the light of the history of cinema, of the great age of Hollywood and the classic European cinema that also overarches and overawes the moderns.
From The New Yorker ● Oct. 29, 2014
"The building is a personal statement by Rudolph," he says, "and it overawes a student who is looking for a place to make his own personal statement."
From Time Magazine Archive
In the outer look of the new University there was nothing of the pomp that overawes the freshman as he first paces the "High" or looks down from the gallery of St. Mary's.
From History of the English People, Volume I Early England, 449-1071; Foreign Kings, 1071-1204; The Charter, 1204-1216 by Green, John Richard
Driven from their lucrative vices of old, the depraved element, at the polls, overawes decency.
From The Little Lady of Lagunitas A Franco-Californian Romance by Savage, Richard
As long as the dome overawes, that facade is supportable.
From The Newcomes Memoirs of a Most Respectable Family by Thackeray, William Makepeace
Widdicombe said he was "giddy with excitement, honoured and a little overawed to be given the chance to step into the biggest shoes in television".
From BBC ● May 19, 2026
Former captain Jamie George says England should embrace the occasion and not be overawed by New Zealand's reputation.
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2025
Far from appearing overawed, the 28-year-old, who had to come through qualifying, seemed right at home in his first Crucible final.
From BBC ● May 4, 2025
Despite being the youngest player to start a competitive match for Scotland since Willie Johnston in 1965, he did not look overawed or cowed.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2024
A moment later, I spotted the young Mr Cardinal not far away, still standing on his own, and it struck me the young gentleman might be feeling somewhat overawed in the present company.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
For some young players, the attention might be overawing.
From BBC ● May 30, 2025
The first album I'd ever bought was Ziggy Stardust and I owned all his others, so it was overawing, but he was really generous as a performer.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 23, 2013
The Europe through which his couple move is one of soft colors, handsome but not overawing.
From Time Magazine Archive
Nowhere among these republics have great military establishments ever been maintained for the purpose of overawing or subjugating other nations.
From Time Magazine Archive
It wasn't that their attitude was hostile; they were simply overawing.
From Novice by Schmitz, James H.
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.
