awful

aw-ful · adjective

imported

Definitions

adjective

  1. 1.

    Very bad, unpleasant, or of poor quality.

  2. 2.

    Used to emphasize something, especially something large or serious.

  3. 3.

    (Dated/archaic) Inspiring awe; causing fear or dread.

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    awful lot of — A very large amount of.
  • •
    feel awful — To feel unwell or guilty.
  • •
    look awful — To appear sick or terrible.
  • •
    something awful — (Informal) Extremely; terribly.

Related words

Antonyms: excellent, fantastic, great, wonderful
See also: awe, awfully, dreadful, horrible, terrible
Synonyms: appalling, atrocious, dreadful, horrible, terrible

Etymology

From Middle English aweful, from awe + -ful ("full of awe"). Originally meant "inspiring awe, worthy of respect" (13th century). The negative meaning "very bad" developed in the 19th century, a semantic deterioration from "awe-inspiring" to "dreadful."