awful (ˈɔːfʊl
)
Definitions
adjective
- very bad; unpleasant
- archaic inspiring reverence or dread
- archaic overcome with awe; reverential
adverb
- not standard (intensifier) ⇒
an awful cold day
Alternative Forms
ˈawfulness nounWord Origin
C13: see awe, -fulSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
disgusting,
terrible,
tremendous,
offensive,
gross,
nasty,
foul,
horrible,
dreadful,
unpleasant,
revolting,
stinking,
sickening,
hideous,
vulgar,
vile,
distasteful,
horrid,
frightful,
nauseating,
odious,
repugnant,
loathsome,
abominable,
nauseous,
detestable,
godawful,
hellacious,
festy,
yucko,
=
bad,
poor,
terrible,
appalling,
foul,
rubbish,
shit,
dreadful,
unpleasant,
dire,
crap,
horrendous,
ghastly,
from hell,
atrocious,
deplorable,
abysmal,
frightful,
shite,
hellacious,
=
shocking,
serious,
alarming,
distressing,
dreadful,
horrifying,
horrific,
hideous,
harrowing,
gruesome,
=
unwell,
poorly,
ill,
terrible,
sick,
ugly,
crook,
unhealthy,
unsightly,
queasy,
out of sorts,
off-colour,
under the weather,
green about the gills,
Translations
- British English:
awful
If you say that someone or something is awful, you dislike that person or thing or you think that they are not very good....an awful smell of paint.ˈɔːfʊl ADJECTIVE ...an awful smell of paint.
- Spanish:
espantoso
adj espantosa
- French:
affreux
adj affreuse
- German:
schrecklich
adj
- Chinese: 糟糕的 adj
- Arabic: شَنِيع adj
- Portuguese: horrível adj
- Russian: ужасный adj ужасная
- Croatian: strašan adj strašna
- Czech: hrozný adj
- Danish: rædselsfuld adj
- Dutch: afschuwelijk adj
- Finnish: kauhea adj
- Greek: φρικτός adj φρικτή
- Italian: orribile adj
- Japanese: ひどい adj
- Korean: 몹시 나쁜 adj
- Norwegian: skrekkelig adj
- Polish: straszny adj straszna
- Brazilian Portuguese: horrível adj
- European Spanish:
espantoso
adj espantosa
- Swedish: fruktansvärd adj fruktansvärt
- Thai: แย่มาก adj
- Turkish: berbat adj
- Vietnamese: kinh khủng adj
Usage examples
Lirael threw herself back towards the corridor as the thing struck out with its awful , elongated claws.
, LIRAEL: DAUGHTER OF THE CLAYR (2001)Some ingredients are great for texture, but they just taste awful ," she says.
New Scientist (2004)I wanted to write about the awful watchful witness of seeing someone you love die.
Irish Times (2002)But also because the cinema experience had become so bloody awful.
Glasgow Herald (2001)He should know exactly what awful brutality awaits people like Corday.
, GALLOWS THIEF (2002)