# awful

Pronunciation: say "AW-ful" US /ˈɔfl̩/, UK /ˈɔːfl̩/

## Adjective

1. Extremely bad or unpleasant in quality or character.
   - Simple: Very bad or unpleasant in quality.
   - _The hotel room was in an awful state when the guests arrived._
   - _Critics gave the film awful reviews after its opening weekend._
2. Exceedingly great in amount or degree, often used simply to add emphasis.
   - Simple: Very great in amount, size, or degree.
   - _They spent an awful amount of money on the renovation._
   - _She shows an awful lot of patience with the younger children._

## Adverb

3. Very; extremely. Used to intensify an adjective or adverb that follows. *(colloquial, Canada, US)*
   - Simple: Very, used to make the next word stronger.
   - _That was awful nice of you to drive all this way._
   - _He drives awful fast on that stretch of highway._
4. Very; dreadfully; to a degree that feels intense or troubling. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Very, or to a great or unpleasant degree.
   - _The kids were awful upset when the trip got canceled._
   - _We were awful worried until your call finally came through._

## Adjective

5. Causing fear or horror; appalling and terrible to witness. *(dated)*
   - Simple: Causing great fear or horror.
   - _The battlefield was an awful sight that haunted the survivors for years._
   - _An awful silence settled over the courtroom before the verdict was read._
6. Awe-inspiring; filling the beholder with profound reverence, respect, or wonder. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: So great and grand that it fills people with wonder and respect.
   - _The ancient temple possessed an awful grandeur that humbled every visitor._
   - _The cathedral's awful splendor left the pilgrims in reverent silence._
7. Filled with awe or reverence; struck by a profound sense of wonder. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: Feeling deep wonder, fear, or respect about something.
   - _The congregation sat awful and hushed as the great organ swelled._
   - _He stood awful before the vast night sky, sensing his own smallness._
8. Stricken with terror; overcome by intense fear. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Filled with great terror or fear.

## Origin

From Middle English agheful, equivalent to "awe" plus "-ful" (compare Old English egeful, "terrifying; awful"). The "very bad" meaning is a negative shift from the original sense of "awe-inspiring."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/awful (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).