awful
- 01 A2 Elementary
adj.extremely bad, unpleasant, or of very low quality.
adj.extremely disagreeable, objectionable, or of poor quality. While historically related to 'awe', it is now almost exclusively used for negative evaluation.
Simple“The weather was awful yesterday, so we stayed inside all day.”
In context“The service at the restaurant was truly awful, with long delays and cold food that left the entire party disappointed.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.used to emphasize that an amount or number is very large.
adj.used as an intensifier to denote a large or significant quantity or degree.
Simple“It took an awful lot of work to finish the project on time.”
In context“The renovation cost an awful lot of money, far exceeding the initial budget set by the homeowners.”
Synonyms - 03 B1 Intermediate
adv.very or extremely.
adv.functioning as an intensifier equivalent to 'very' or 'extremely'.
Simple“That was an awful long movie, but I enjoyed it.”
In context“The traffic was moving awful slow this morning, making most of the staff late for the meeting.”
UsageUsually placed before an adjective.
PitfallHe is awful nice. He is awfully nice.In formal writing, use the adverb 'awfully'. Using 'awful' as an adverb is common only in casual, spoken English.
- 04 C2 Proficiency
adj.something that makes you feel great respect or a little fear because it is so powerful.
adj.inspiring awe, profound reverence, or solemn dread. This sense is largely restricted to older literature and religious contexts.
Simple“The mountain peak was an awful sight in the middle of the storm.”
In context“The poet described the awful majesty of the ocean, capturing both its terrifying power and its immense beauty.”
Teacher's tipModern speakers use 'awesome' for this meaning; 'awful' in modern English is almost always negative.
Usage awful lot · awful time
From Middle English agheful, awfull, auful, aȝefull, equivalent to awe + -ful. Compare Old English eġeful, eġefull (“terrifying; awful”). The “very bad” sense is a pejorative semantic shift from the original sense of “awe-inspiring”.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.