AWFUL
Dictionary entry overview: What does awful mean?
• AWFUL (adjective)
The adjective AWFUL has 6 senses:
1. exceptionally bad or displeasing
2. causing fear or dread or terror
3. offensive or even (of persons) malicious
4. inspired by a feeling of fearful wonderment or reverence
5. extreme in degree or extent or amount or impact
6. inspiring awe or admiration or wonder
Familiarity information: AWFUL used as an adjective is common.
• AWFUL (adverb)
The adverb AWFUL has 1 sense:
1. used as intensifiers
Familiarity information: AWFUL used as an adverb is very rare.
Dictionary entry details
• AWFUL (adjective)
Meaning:
Exceptionally bad or displeasing
Synonyms:
awful; unspeakable; terrible; dreadful; atrocious; abominable; painful
Context examples:
atrocious taste / abominable workmanship / an awful voice / dreadful manners / a painful performance / terrible handwriting / an unspeakable odor came sweeping into the room
Similar:
bad (having undesirable or negative qualities)
Meaning:
Causing fear or dread or terror
Synonyms:
fearsome; frightening; fearful; dreadful; dreaded; dread; direful; terrible; horrendous; horrific; awful; dire
Context examples:
the awful war / an awful risk / dire news / a career or vengeance so direful that London was shocked / the dread presence of the headmaster / polio is no longer the dreaded disease it once was / a dreadful storm / a fearful howling / horrendous explosions shook the city / a terrible curse
Similar:
alarming (causing alarm or fear)
Meaning:
Offensive or even (of persons) malicious
Synonyms:
nasty; awful
Context examples:
in a nasty mood / a nasty accident / a nasty shock / a nasty smell / a nasty trick to pull / Will he say nasty things at my funeral?
Similar:
hateful; mean (characterized by malice)
grotty (very unpleasant or offensive)
dirty; filthy; lousy (vile; despicable)
Also:
unpleasant (disagreeable to the senses, to the mind, or feelings)
Attribute:
nastiness (the quality of being unpleasant)
Meaning:
Inspired by a feeling of fearful wonderment or reverence
Synonyms:
awed; awful
Context examples:
awed by the silence / awful worshippers with bowed heads
Similar:
reverent (feeling or showing profound respect or veneration)
Meaning:
Extreme in degree or extent or amount or impact
Synonyms:
frightful; tremendous; terrible; awful
Context examples:
in a frightful hurry / spent a frightful amount of money
Similar:
extraordinary (beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable)
Domain usage:
colloquialism (a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech)
Meaning:
Inspiring awe or admiration or wonder
Synonyms:
awe-inspiring; awesome; awing; amazing; awful
Context examples:
New York is an amazing city / the Grand Canyon is an awe-inspiring sight / the awesome complexity of the universe / this sea, whose gently awful stirrings seem to speak of some hidden soul beneath / Westminster Hall's awing majesty, so vast, so high, so silent
Similar:
impressive (making a strong or vivid impression)
• AWFUL (adverb)
Meaning:
Used as intensifiers
Synonyms:
awful; awfully; frightfully; terribly
Context examples:
terribly interesting / I'm awful sorry
Domain usage:
colloquialism (a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech)
