awful
Part of speech: adj
adv
Morphological type: derivation
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”.
Base: awe
Affixes: -ful
Inflected forms:
form: awfuller
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: more awful
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: awfullest
pos: adj
tags: superlative
form: most awful
pos: adj
tags: superlative
form: awfull
pos: adj
tags: alternative
archaic
form: aweful
pos: adj
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: awefull
pos: adj
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: awfull
pos: adv
tags: alternative
archaic
form: aweful
pos: adv
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: awefull
pos: adv
tags: alternative
obsolete
Senses:
gloss: Very bad.
pos: adj
examples: The smell of my socks is awful.
We saw such an awful film last night that we left the theater before the end.
gloss: Exceedingly great; usually applied intensively.
pos: adj
examples: I have learnt an awful amount today.
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.
gloss: Causing fear or horror; appalling, terrible.
pos: adj
tags: dated
examples: 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.
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.
gloss: Awe-inspiring; filling with profound reverence or respect; profoundly impressive.
pos: adj
tags: archaic
examples: As I am seen could I but gaze on Thee / Awful in majesty and royal might
God ought not to be commixed in our actions, but with awful reverence, and an attention full of honour and respect.
And then she stopped, and stood as if in awe / (For sleep is awful)[…].
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.
gloss: Struck or filled with awe or reverence.
pos: adj
tags: archaic
examples: 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.
gloss: Terror-stricken.
pos: adj
tags: obsolete
gloss: Prone to a particular temptation.
pos: adj
tags: Ireland
especially
examples: "It's her imagination, that's what it is," Millie said. "She's awful for imagining things, Wilfred agreed with me."
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!
gloss: Awfully; dreadfully; terribly.
pos: adv
tags: colloquial
not-comparable
examples: The race was run, and the dog ran "awful".
gloss: Very, extremely.
pos: adv
tags: Canada
US
colloquial
not-comparable
examples: That's an awful big house.
She seemed awful nice when I met her yesterday.
He was blubbering away something awful.
“They say the Battery's awful bad,” and he hummed dolorously[.]
Derived words: awful but lawful
awfulization
awfulize
awfully
awfulness
god-awful
gosh-awful
goshawful
lawful but awful
overawful
shitawful
something awful
Translations: