Awfully
/ˈɔːfəli/
adverbBeginnerCommonGeneral
Meaning
Question
Definitions
1
To a very great degree; extremely.
/ˈɔːfəli/
adverbnegativeBeginner
General
To a very great extent; extremely.
It's awfully cold outside.
💡 Simply: Very, really
More Examples
2
She's awfully kind.
How It's Used
Everyday Conversation
"I'm awfully sorry I'm late."
Informal Writing
"The movie was awfully boring."
From Middle English *awfulli, from Old English *æfullic, from æful 'terrible, dreadful'. The original meaning was 'inspiring awe,' but the sense shifted to 'very bad' or 'extremely'.
While it originated with a meaning related to 'awe,' the modern sense of 'extremely' or 'very' emerged over time, showcasing semantic shift.
Memory tip
Think of 'awe' – something that inspires awe is often great in magnitude, hence 'awfully' suggests a significant degree.
Practice
Base: awful
awfullawfllyauflly
Usage
60%Spoken
40%Written