Awful
/ˈɔːfəl/
adjectiveBeginnerVery CommonGeneral
Idiom
Meaning
Questions
Definitions
1
Very bad; extremely unpleasant.
/ˈɔːfəl/
adjectivenegativeBeginner
General
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."
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.
Practice
awfullauful
Usage
70%Spoken
30%Written