# awesome

/ˈɑsəm/ (US) · /ˈɔːsʌm/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/awesome
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. excellent or great

adjective · CEFR A2 · Informal

very good, impressive, or enjoyable. You use this when you are excited about something.

For teachers: used as a general superlative to indicate excellence or high quality. Highly informal in register and common in spoken English.

- The concert last night was awesome and we had a great time.
- The special effects in the latest blockbuster were truly awesome, though the plot itself was somewhat predictable.

Usage: Commonly used as a one-word response to show agreement or excitement.

Teaching tip: In modern conversation, this is a very common 'filler' word for anything positive; students should be careful not to use it in formal academic writing.

### 2. inspiring awe or power

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary · Formal

something so big, powerful, or beautiful that it makes you feel a little bit of fear or deep respect.

For teachers: inspiring awe; characterized by a quality that inspires profound admiration, reverence, or fear.

- The view from the top of the mountain was awesome and silent.
- The explorers stood in silence before the awesome power of the waterfall, feeling small against the scale of the natural world.

Usage: Often used to describe nature, vast landscapes, or divine power.

## Examples

- That movie was awesome.
- We had an awesome time at the concert last night and the band played all our favorite songs.
- While the view from the summit was truly awesome in the traditional sense, the hikers used the word simply to describe their relief at finishing the climb.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.