awful meaning and definition

AWFUL adjective

Definition of awful (adjective)

1. exceptionally bad or displeasing
   • "atrocious taste"; "abominable workmanship"; "an awful voice"; "dreadful manners"; "a painful performance"; "terrible handwriting"; "an unspeakable odor came sweeping into the room"
   • synonyms: abominable, atrocious, dreadful, painful, terrible, unspeakable
2. causing fear or dread or terror
   • "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"
   • synonyms: dire, direful, dread, dreaded, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, frightening, horrendous, horrific, terrible
3. offensive or even (of persons) malicious
   • "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?"- Ezra Pound
   • synonyms: nasty
   • antonym: nice
4. inspired by a feeling of fearful wonderment or reverence
   • "awed by the silence"; "awful worshippers with bowed heads"
   • synonyms: awed
5. extreme in degree or extent or amount or impact
   • "in a frightful hurry"; "spent a frightful amount of money"
   • synonyms: frightful, terrible, tremendous
6. inspiring awe or admiration or wonder
   • "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"- Melville; "Westminster Hall's awing majesty, so vast, so high, so silent"
   • synonyms: amazing, awe-inspiring, awesome, awing

AWFUL adverb

Definition of awful (adverb)

1. used as intensifiers
   • "terribly interesting"; "I'm awful sorry"
   • synonyms: awfully, frightfully, terribly