Awful
/ˈɔːfəl/
adjectiveBeginner🔥Very CommonEvaluation
1 meaning1 idiom/phrase2 questions
Definitions
1
Very bad; extremely unpleasant.
/ˈɔːfəl/
adjectivenegativeBeginner
Evaluation
Extremely bad or unpleasant.
That's an awful smell.
💡 Simply: Really bad
More Examples
2
He had an awful headache.
How It's Used
Everyday conversation
"The food was awful; I couldn't eat it."
Reviews
"The movie received awful reviews from critics."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
Idioms & expressions
awful lot
A large quantity or number.
"There's an awful lot of work to do."
From Middle English *awful*, meaning "inspiring awe," from Old English *egeful*, "inspiring fear or reverence." The meaning shifted over time to its current negative connotation.
Originally meant 'inspiring awe,' but its meaning shifted to negative over time.
Memory tip
Think of 'awe' in a negative context – something so bad it inspires a negative sense of awe.
Word Origin
LanguageOld English
Original meaning
"inspiring fear or reverence"
awful smellawful tasteawful weatherawful lot
Common misspellings
awfullauful
Practice
Usage
70%Spoken
30%Written