awful en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈɑfəl/ (cot-caught-merger)
- /ˈɔfəl/ (Scotland)
- [ˈɔfɫ̩] without the cot–caught merger
- [ˈoːfɫ̩] (Australia, New-Zealand)
- /ˈoːfəl/ (British, Southern, Standard)
- /aːfə(l)/ (Northumbria)
- /ˈoːfəl/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
- [ˈɔːfɫ̩] (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈɔːfəl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈɔːfʊl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (US) audio
- /ˈɒfəl/ (Canada)
- [ˈɑfɫ̩] (cot-caught-merger)
- [ˈɒfɫ̩] (Canada)
- /ˈɔfəl/ without the cot–caught merger
- [ˈoːfɫ̩] (British, Southern, Standard)
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”.
Meanings
-
Very bad.
We saw such an awful film last night that we left the theater before the end.
The smell of my socks is awful.
-
Exceedingly great; usually applied intensively.
I have learnt an awful amount today.
“[…] I cook a lot. I make an awful lot of food. Jason thinks I must be cooking for an army sometimes,” she says, […]
2010 November 14, Barry Egan, “Nadine Coyle: Insatiable of Derry”, in Life (Sunday Independent), Dublin, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 15, column 4:Shepard: You seem to know an awful lot about me. Geth: Extranet data sources. Insecure broadcasts. All organic data sent out is received. We watch you.
2010, BioWare, Mass Effect 2 (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Normandy SR-2 AI Core Room:
-
(dated) Causing fear or horror; appalling, terrible.
There was an air of gravity and importance about the garb of the person, and something indescribably odd, I might say awful, in the perfect, stonelike stillness of the figure, that effectually checked the testy comment which had at once risen to the lips of the irritated artist.
1839, J. Sheridan Le Fanu, Schalken the Painter:At our old pastimes in the hall We gambol’d, making vain pretence Of gladness, with an awful sense Of one mute Shadow watching all.
1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XXX”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 48:
-
(archaic) Awe-inspiring; filling with profound reverence or respect; profoundly impressive.
God ought not to be commixed in our actions, but with awful reverence, and an attention full of honour and respect.
1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 56, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book I, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:If the keepers of the sacred corral discovered paternity in their stock breeding, then that knowledge would have been seen as numinous, awe-ful, and unconsciously unsettling.
1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 124:As I am seen could I but gaze on Thee / Awful in majesty and royal might
1889, Harriet McEwen Kimball, Poems, "Omniscience":And then she stopped, and stood as if in awe / (For sleep is awful)[…].
1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, II.143:
-
(archaic) Struck or filled with awe or reverence.
She spoke about Mr. Pendennis (a worthy little gentleman enough, but there are others as good as he) with an awful reverence, as if he had been the Pope of Rome on his throne, and she a cardinal kneeling at his feet, and giving him incense.
1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 2, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:
- (obsolete) Terror-stricken.
-
(Ireland, especially, with "for") Prone to a particular temptation.
Tommy was just an awful man for the paper - couldn't get enough of the stuff! He'd have had the very Yellow Pages down him!
2022, Lisa McGee, Derry Girls, season 3, episode 7:"It's her imagination, that's what it is," Millie said. "She's awful for imagining things, Wilfred agreed with me."
1945, James Hanley, Crilley, and Other Stories:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| awfullest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more awful | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| awefull | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| awfull | alternative, archaic | lexicographic | |
| aweful | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| most awful | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| awfuller | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Deriveds
gosh-awful · awfulization · god-awful · awful but lawful · awfulize · awfully · goshawful · awfulness · shitawful · something awful · lawful but awful · overawful
Relateds
Synonyms
Translations (132)
it impressionante (exceedingly great) · de toll (exceedingly great) · hy ահավոր (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · ca horrorós (inspiring awe) · hu rettenetes (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · pt temível (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · de furchtbar (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · cmn 可怕 (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · es malísimo (very bad) · sv fasansfull (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · bg страшен (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · hy ահավոր (very bad) · lv šausmīgs (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · de unglaublich (inspiring awe) · sv hemsk (very bad) · fi kamala (very bad) · vi khủng khiếp (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · pt medonho (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · fi hirveä (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · de schrecklich (very bad) · ru устраша́ющий (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · fr terrible (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · cmn 肅然起敬的 /肃然起敬的 (struck or filled with awe) · fi karmea (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · pl straszliwy (very bad) · ro teribil (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · fi hirveä (very bad) · de furchtbar (very bad) · fi mahtava (exceedingly great) · ar أَرْبَد (very bad) · fr horrible (very bad) · bg ужасен (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · it pessimo (very bad) · he נורא (very bad) · cs děsný (very bad) · lt baisus (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · fi hämmästyttävä (inspiring awe) · es infumable (very bad) · ru ужаса́ющий (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · de schrecklich (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · fi kaamea (very bad) · ro impresionant (exceedingly great) · pt temível (inspiring awe) · cmn 糟糕 (very bad) · ru ужа́сный (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · ru ужа́сный (very bad) · be жахлі́вы (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · nv hóyééʼ (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · ro îngrozitor (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · el απαίσιος (very bad) · mk ужасен (very bad) · eo aĉa (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · km ភយង្ករ (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · fr horrible (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · cmn 令人驚嘆的 /令人惊叹的 (inspiring awe) · hu borzalmas (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · no forferdelig (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · he איום (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · it terribile (very bad) · la dīrus (very bad) · pt horrível (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · cs strašný (very bad) · hu rémes (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · pt horrível (very bad) · ro impresionant (inspiring awe) · no grusom (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · bg ужасен (very bad) · sv ohygglig (very bad) · pt apavorante (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · de erfurchterregend (inspiring awe) · ro înfiorător (inspiring awe) · he איום (very bad) · it orribile (very bad) · ja 怖い (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · mk ужасен (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · pt péssimo (very bad) · fi hämmästynyt (struck or filled with awe) · fr épouvantable (very bad) · fr immonde (very bad) · sv fruktansvärd (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · de ehrfurchtsvoll (struck or filled with awe) · fi kaamea (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · de ehrfürchtig (struck or filled with awe) · fi karmea (very bad) · de hervorragend (exceedingly great) · ro oribil (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · he נוראי (very bad) · ca horrorós (very bad) · hy ահեղ (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · tr berbat (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · pl okropny (very bad) · ms teruk (very bad) · hu borzasztó (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · pl ohydny (very bad) · bg отвратителен (very bad) · ga uafásach (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · nl afgrijselijk (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · ca horrorós (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · fi kauhea (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · fi hirvittävä (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · hy սարսափելի (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · nl verschrikkelijk (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · lv šausmīgs (very bad) · bg внушаващ страх (inspiring awe) · pt terrível (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · cy ofnadwy (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · el φρικτός (very bad) · ro atroce (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · it orribile (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · fi kamala (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · fi kauhea (very bad) · la dīrus (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · fi kauhistuttava (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · eo malbonega (very bad) · cmn 厲害 /厉害 (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · hu szörnyű (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · fr épouvantable (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · cmn 壞 /坏 (very bad) · pt terrível (very bad) · el τρομερός (exceedingly great) · fr affreux (very bad) · el φοβερός (exceedingly great) · km ឃោរ (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · el τρομερός (inspiring awe) · hy ահարկու (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · gd sgriosail (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · cy uthr (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · el απαίσιος (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · nl vreselijk (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · sv hemsk (causing fear; appalling; terrible) · ar فَظِيع (very bad) · es espantoso (causing fear; appalling; terrible)