awful

awful
[[t]ɔ͟ːfʊl[/t]]
♦♦♦
1) ADJ-GRADED If you say that someone or something is awful, you dislike that person or thing or you think that they are not very good.

We met and I thought he was awful...

I couldn't stand London! Bloody awful place.

...an awful smell of paint...

Even if the weather's awful there's lots to do...

Jeans look awful on me.

Syn:
Ant:
Derived words:
awfulness N-UNCOUNT

The programme's awfulness has ensured it is talked about.

2) ADJ-GRADED If you say that something is awful, you mean that it is extremely unpleasant, shocking, or bad.

Her injuries were massive. It was awful...

Some of their offences are so awful they would chill the blood.

Syn:
3) ADJ-GRADED: v-link ADJ If you look or feel awful, you look or feel ill.

I hardly slept at all and felt pretty awful...

I looked awful and felt quite shaky.

Syn:
4) ADJ: ADJ n (emphasis) You can use awful with noun groups that refer to an amount in order to emphasize how large that amount is.

I've got an awful lot of work to do.

Syn:
Derived words:
awfully ADV-GRADED usu ADV adj/adv

The caramel looks awfully good...

`I'm awfully sorry,' she told him regretfully...

Would you mind awfully waiting a bit, I'll be back right away.

5) ADV: ADV adj (emphasis) You can use awful with adjectives that describe a quality in order to emphasize that particular quality. [AM, INFORMAL]

Gosh, you're awful pretty...

You know, 10 years sounds like an awful long time.

Syn:

English dictionary. 2008.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Awful — means extremely bad, unpleasant, or terrible; also amazing, full of awe, awe inspiring, awesome Awful may also mean: * Awful (song), a 1999 single by the band Hole * Awful Orphan , a 1949 cartoon * Awful Gardner, a notorious gambler * Awful End …   Wikipedia

  • Awful — Aw ful, a. 1. Oppressing with fear or horror; appalling; terrible; as, an awful scene. The hour of Nature s awful throes. Hemans. [1913 Webster] 2. Inspiring awe; filling with profound reverence, or with fear and admiration; fitted to inspire… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • awful — 1. There are two main stages in the development of this word from its primary meaning (which goes back to the time of King Alfred) of ‘inspiring awe’. First, from about 1800 it came to mean ‘very bad’ (as in awful weather, an awful time); then… …   Modern English usage

  • Awful — «Awful» Single de Hole del álbum Celebrity Skin Formato CD, 7 Grabación 1998 Género(s) Rock alternativo , power pop …   Wikipedia Español

  • awful — [ô′fəl] adj. [ME awful, agheful: see AWE & FUL] 1. inspiring awe; highly impressive 2. causing fear; terrifying 3. dreadful; appalling 4. full of awe; reverential 5. very bad, ugly, unpleasant, etc …   English World dictionary

  • awful — ► ADJECTIVE 1) very bad or unpleasant. 2) used for emphasis: an awful lot. 3) archaic inspiring awe. DERIVATIVES awfulness noun …   English terms dictionary

  • awful — index dire, heinous, lamentable Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • awful — (adj.) c.1300, agheful worthy of respect or fear, from aghe, an earlier form of AWE (Cf. awe), + FUL (Cf. ful). Replaced O.E. egefull. Weakened sense very bad is from 1809; weakened sense of exceedingly is by 1818 …   Etymology dictionary

  • awful — *fearful, dreadful, frightful, terrible, horrible, shocking, appalling, terrific, horrific Analogous words: impressive, *moving: solemn, *serious, grave: imposing, august, majestic (see GRAND): sublime, superb, *splendid: *ominous …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • awful — [adj] very bad; terrible abominable, alarming, appalling, atrocious, deplorable, depressing, dire, disgusting, distressing, dreadful, fearful, frightful, ghastly, grody*, gross*, gruesome, grungy*, harrowing, hideous, horrendous, horrible,… …   New thesaurus

  • awful — aw|ful1 [ ɔfl ] adjective ** used for emphasizing how unpleasant someone or something is: TERRIBLE: The smell was absolutely awful. This wine tastes awful. He had the awful feeling that everyone was laughing at him. There were these awful people… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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