awful

== English == === Alternative forms === awfull (archaic) aweful, awefull (obsolete) === Etymology === 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”. === Pronunciation === (UK) (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɔːfʊl/, /ˈɔːfəl/, [ˈɔːfɫ̩] (Standard Southern British) IPA(key): /ˈoːfəl/, [ˈoːfɫ̩] (Scotland) IPA(key): /ˈɔfəl/ (Northumbria) IPA(key): /aːfə(l)/ (General American) (without the cot–caught merger) IPA(key): /ˈɔfəl/, [ˈɔfɫ̩] (cot–caught merger) IPA(key): /ˈɑfəl/, [ˈɑfɫ̩] (Canada) IPA(key): /ˈɒfəl/, [ˈɒfɫ̩] (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˈoːfəl/, [ˈoːfɫ̩] Rhymes: -ɔːfʊl Hyphenation: aw‧ful Homophone: offal (cot–caught merger) === Adjective === awful (comparative awfuller or more awful, superlative awfullest or most awful) Very bad. Exceedingly great; usually applied intensively. (dated) Causing fear or horror; appalling, terrible. (now rare) Awe-inspiring; filling with profound reverence or respect; profoundly impressive. Alternative forms: awe-ful, awe-full Synonym: awesome (now rare) Struck or filled with awe or reverence. (obsolete) Terror-stricken. (especially Ireland, with "for") Prone to a particular temptation. Synonym: terrible ==== Synonyms ==== See also Thesaurus:frightening ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Adverb === awful (not comparable) (colloquial) Awfully; dreadfully; terribly. (US, Canada) Very, extremely. ==== Translations ==== === Further reading === “awful”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “awful”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.