English Explanatory Dictionary

awful

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Very bad.
  2. Exceedingly great; usually applied intensively.
  3. Causing fear or horror; appalling, terrible.
  4. Awe-inspiring; filling with profound reverence or respect; profoundly impressive.
  5. Struck or filled with awe or reverence.
  6. Terror-stricken.
  7. Prone to a particular temptation.
adv
  1. Awfully; dreadfully; terribly.
  2. Very, extremely.
noun
  1. Acronym of affluent white female urban liberal.

Pronunciation

/ˈɔː.fʊl/ /ˈɔː.fəl/ [ˈɔː.fɫ̩] /aːfə(l)/ /ˈɔ.fəl/ [ˈɔ.fɫ̩] /ˈɑ.fəl/ [ˈɑ.fɫ̩] /ˈɒ.fəl/ [ˈɒ.fɫ̩] en-us-awful.ogg

Word forms

awful awfuller more awful awfullest most awful awfull aweful awefull AWFULs

Etymology

From Middle English agheful, awfull, auful, aȝefull, equivalent to awe + -ful. Compare Old English eġeful, eġefull (“terrifying; awful”). The “very bad” sense is a pejorative semantic shift from the original sense of “awe-inspiring”.

Synonyms

awesome terrible AWFL

Related words

awe-ful awe-full

Derived words

awful but lawful awfulization awfulize awfully awfulness god-awful gosh-awful goshawful lawful but awful overawful shitawful something awful
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