adj · adv · noun · 17 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈɔːfʊl/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈɔːfəl/
Received-Pronunciation:[ˈɔːfɫ̩]
British, Southern, Standard:/ˈoːfəl/
British, Southern, Standard:[ˈoːfɫ̩]
Scotland:/ˈɔfəl/
Northumbria:/aːfə(l)/
/ˈɔfəl/without the cot–caught merger
[ˈɔfɫ̩]without the cot–caught merger
cot-caught-merger:/ˈɑfəl/
cot-caught-merger:[ˈɑfɫ̩]
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada:/ˈɒfəl/
Canada:[ˈɒfɫ̩]
Australian, New-Zealand:/ˈoːfəl/
Australian, New-Zealand:[ˈoːfɫ̩]
rhymes with -ɔːfʊl
homophone: offal (cot–caught merger)
CMU ARPABET:AA1 F AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:AO1 F AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Very bad.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The smell of my socks is awful.
We saw such an awful film last night that we left the theater before the end.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Exceedingly great; usually applied intensively.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
I have learnt an awful amount today.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Causing fear or horror; appalling, terrible.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Awe-inspiring; filling with profound reverence or respect; profoundly impressive.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: awesome
Antonyms: none provided
5
adj
Meaning 5
Struck or filled with awe or reverence.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
adj
Meaning 6
Terror-stricken.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
adj
Meaning 7
Prone to a particular temptation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Ireland, especially
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: terrible
Antonyms: none provided
8
adv
Meaning 8
Awfully; dreadfully; terribly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: colloquial, not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
adv
Meaning 9
Very, extremely.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Canada, US, colloquial, not-comparable
Examples
That's an awful big house.
She seemed awful nice when I met her yesterday.
He was blubbering away something awful.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
noun
Meaning 10
Acronym of affluent white female urban liberal.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
this sea, whose gently awful stirrings seem to speak of some hidden soul beneath
Westminster Hall's awing majesty, so vast, so high, so silent
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: amazing, awe-inspiring, awesome, awing
Antonyms: none provided
15
adjective satellite
Meaning 15
extreme in degree or extent or amount or impact
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
in a frightful hurry
spent a frightful amount of money
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: frightful, terrible, tremendous
Antonyms: none provided
16
adjective satellite
Meaning 16
inspired by a feeling of fearful wonderment or reverence
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
awed by the silence
awful worshippers with bowed heads
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: awed
Antonyms: none provided
17
adverb
Meaning 17
used as intensifiers
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
terribly interesting
I'm awful sorry
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: terribly, awfully, frightfully
Antonyms: none provided
History
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”.
Influenced by awful.
Across languages
Translations
149 source translations are retained for this English entry.
