awesome
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈɔː.səm/
ipa: /ˈɔ.səm/
ipa: /ˈɑ.səm/
Forms: form: more awesome
form: awesomer
form: most awesome
form: awesomest
form: orsum
Etymology: From awe + -some; compare earlier awful and Middle English eiful (“inducing fright or terror, terrible”), from Old English eġeful (“fearful; inspiring awe”).
The oldest meaning of awesome is of “something which inspires awe”, but the word is now also a common colloquial expression. It was originally so used in the United States, where it had featured strikingly in the 1970 film Tora! Tora! Tora!, as used by Japan's Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto to describe the "awesome" industrial potential of the United States. Consequently, as the word popularly became an expression for anything superb, in its original meaning it has tended to be replaced by the related word, awe-inspiring.
Senses: examples: text: The waterfall in the middle of the rainforest was an awesome sight.
text: The tsunami was awesome in its destructive power.
text: And now it appeared that there was a mysterious Queen clothed by rumour with dread and wonderful attributes, and commonly known by the impersonal, but, to my mind, rather awesome title of She.
ref: 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:
text: I think that the most fearsome attribute of these awesome creatures is their silence and the fact that one never sees them—nothing but those baleful eyes glaring unblinkingly out of the dark void behind.
ref: 1913 January–May, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “The Gods of Mars”, in The All-Story, New York, N.Y.: Frank A. Munsey Co., →OCLC; republished as “The Eyes in the Dark”, in The Gods of Mars, Chicago, Ill.: A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg & Co., September 1918, →OCLC, page 227:
text: Certainly it is awesome to think of a nation that brings its powers of persuasion against a woman's right to conceive.
ref: 1984 February 14, John Corry, “Birth Curb in China”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
text: “Congratulations, President Trump,” Netanyahu said in a video statement immediately following the U.S. attack. “Your bold decision to target Iran's nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history.”
ref: 2025 June 25, Daniel Estrin, quoting Benjamin Netanyahu, “Israel was once deterred from striking Iran. Now Netanyahu takes a victory lap”, in NPR:
synonyms: awe-inspiring
antonyms: aweless
glosses: Causing awe or terror; inspiring wonder or excitement.
examples: text: That was awesome!
text: Awesome, dude!
text: Awesome! Totally awesome! All right, Hamilton!
ref: 1982, Cameron Crowe, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, spoken by Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn):
synonyms: word: ace
word: admirable
word: awe-inspiring
word: awesome
word: bang on
word: bang-up
word: based
word: beneship
word: bitching
word: bomb
word: brilliant
word: bully
word: cher
word: choice
word: chronic
word: chur
word: cock on
word: cool
word: copacetic
word: crackerjack
word: cushty
word: dank
word: def
word: dope
word: excellent
word: exceptional
word: fab
word: fabulous
word: fantabulosa
word: fantastic
word: finger-lickin' good
word: fire
word: fireball
word: first-rate
word: fly
word: frabjous
word: gnarly
word: goated
word: great
word: grouse
word: kicking
word: killer
word: lash
word: lautitious
word: lit
word: marvelous
word: nang
word: outstanding
word: out of sight
word: phat
word: peng
word: phenomenal
word: pukka
word: quality
word: rad
word: radical
word: rum
word: sick
word: slap-up
word: slick
word: spiffing
word: splendid
word: sterling
word: super
word: superb
word: superior
word: sweet
word: swell
word: terrific
word: tight
word: top
word: top-drawer
word: top-hole
word: top-notch
word: top-of-the-range
word: top-shelf
word: topping
word: tubular
word: wicked
word: wicked pissah
word: wonderful
word: worldie
glosses: Excellent, exciting, remarkable.
Synonyms: word: amazing
word: astounding
word: awesome
word: awesomesauce
word: based
word: bewildering
word: cool
word: dope
word: enchanting
word: excellent
word: extraordinary
word: far out
word: fire
word: goshwow
word: hellagood
word: impressive
word: incredible
word: inspiring
word: gnarly
word: goated
word: grand
word: grandiose
word: great
word: groovy
word: magnificent
word: major
word: majestic
word: marvellous
word: mystifying
word: mythic
word: neat
word: lit
word: outstanding
word: phenomenal
word: powerful
word: rad
word: selcouth
word: stupendous
word: stupefying
word: sublime
word: surpassing
word: terrific
word: tight
word: unbelievable
word: unreal
word: wicked
word: wonderful
word: wondrous
Derived terms: word: awesomazing
word: awesomely
word: awesomeness
word: awesomenessness
word: awesomeosity
word: awesome sauce
word: awesometastic
word: awesomitude
word: gnarlsome
word: unawesome
Related terms: word: awe-inspiring
word: awful
word: surprising